The Lucky Ones
by Upsgirl88
Summary: Have you ever wondered what it would be like for shy awkward Daryl to do a panel at a con? Or Carol to do a fancy photoshoot? They're being called The Lucky Ones. Average people cast in a brand new TV show called The Walking Dead. From normal individuals to celebrities over night. Can they handle the pressure? Are they truly the lucky ones? At least they have each other.
1. Chapter 1

Carol walked into the building and right back out. What am I doing? She wondered. Standing on the sidewalk she looked down at the newspaper in her hand. She had been sitting in the local diner having some lunch, a luxury she really couldn't afford, but allowed herself anyway as she exercised her new freedom, when she came across an ad in the paper. It was an open casting call for a new television show, but there was something a little different - they were looking for ordinary people, not professional actors.

At first she dismissed it, assuming it was one of those stupid reality shows. But something drew her back to the ad and she read more, choking on a french fry when she read the minimum starting salary for the 6 episode first season. 6 episodes. How long could that take? It was a lot of money. An astronomical amount of money to someone like her. She could afford a house, a car - freedom and true independence.

And it wasn't a reality show. There weren't a lot of details, they must have been hoping to draw more people with curiosity and that massive starting salary. But it did explain that the characters would be based of the real backgrounds and personalities of the people who were cast. It said they would have to give full disclosure in the auditions and agree to comprehensive background checks to confirm. Was she ready to spill her secrets? Was she really comfortable telling strangers about her life of abuse with her ex-husband? Carol was very proud of herself for finally getting away from him. She decided if she needed to talk about it to get the role she could do so with her head held high - she was strong, she always had been.

Carol looked at her watch, she needed to decide soon. The cut off time was in less than 15 minutes away. With a deep breath she turned, just as two men opened the door and started into the building. "Come on Merle, this is stupid. I don't wanna be on no TV show and they ain't gonna cast either one of us anyway." Carol slipped in behind them and listened to the conversation.

"Just get your ass in here you big pussy," the older of the two said, holding open another door. He noticed Carol. "Oh 'scuse my language, after you," he waved her ahead. Carol had a feeling he was only apologizing for show, but it's the thought that counts she decided. "If they're looking for a broody, scowling man-baby you're a shoe in," he added with a laugh.

The man named Merle seemed to be a real talker. "Besides, I heard rumors the show's about a zombie apocalypse. They're gonna need a couple good ol backwoods Georgia boys." Carol glanced backwards briefly to see Merle grab the other man's face. "Aww, Bro, your face was made for TV, you pretty boy." Carol turned away to hide her smile at the huge scowl on his handsome face. Merle was right about one thing, his 'Bro' was one good looking guy. She felt color creep into her cheeks but her smile widened. It was nice to be able to check out handsome men without risking a beating.

A man with a clipboard greeted them. Carol could see the hallway lined with people and she felt her chances slipping away. "Sorry, but we aren't taking any more," the man said. Her heart sank.

"Aw nah," Merle drawled, wrapping an arm around the man's shoulder like they were old friends. "There's just the two, uh, three of us here." He poked at the clipboard. "How's about ya just add us to your little list here and it'll be our secret."

"I'm sorry," the man started, clearly feeling uncomfortable with Merle draped on him.

Merle quickly interrupted. "Your ad says 3pm. It ain't 3pm yet." His voice went from charming to something more threatening.

Carol watched Mr. Sexy reach for Merle's shoulder. "Come on Merle, let's just go."

"Daryl," he growled, giving him a death stare. Daryl quickly backed off. Carol wondered if she should just slip out before things got too crazy, but she was actually fascinated by the brothers. She was pretty confident at that point that the two men were brothers, given their interactions and the 'Bro' earlier.

"Sir, please," the clipboard man tried again. "I was told we aren't accepting any more -"

"Harv, hey," a man called, poking his head out into the hall. He'd likely heard the commotion. "Sign em in and go lock the front."

Merle was grinning like he just won the lottery as the man sighed, "Names?"

"Merle Dixon, M - E -R -"

"Got it," he snapped, scribbling with his pen, as Carol bit her lip to keep from smiling. This Merle guy was funny, even if he did seem like a macho asshole.

Merle finally let go and clapped Daryl on the shoulder. "And this is my handsome little brother, Daryl." Knew it, Carol thought, proud of her perceptive skills.

The man scribbled something down and looked at her. "Oh, Carol - Peletier," she said, wondering if he would spell her last name right but still not bothering to help.

"Take a seat if you can find one, gonna be a long wait." The man left, likely to go lock that door. Of course there were no seats and he wasn't kidding when he said it would be a long wait. As people filed out slowly Carol was finally able to get a chair. Daryl had sunk to the floor and was quiet, but Merle paced - the entire time, clearly impatient.

She looked around at the mish mash of people in the room. There were entire families, people of all ages, and even two cops in uniform, one seemed to be with his wife and son, though it appeared they all knew each other. One by one people were called into the room and one by one they left. It was almost 6pm by the time it was down to the three of them. Carol noticed the women seemed to be called into one room and the men into another. So even though she was last on the list she was called in before the guys. "Ms. Peletier," a man called out.

Carol had a huge nervous knot in her stomach as she stood and walked into the room. "Welcome, please have a seat." Carol sat in a chair and fought off the urge to barf as she stared at 5 people across the table. "My name is Jeff, I'm one of the producers. These 4 are members of the writing team. They're here to listen to your story and see if you might fit into their plan." Carol nodded. "Let me explain how this is going to work. I have a series of questions to ask and as we go through them the writers may jump in to ask for clarification from time to time. These questions are about your life and many are very personal in nature. We have requested full disclosure - we need complete honesty. If you happen to make the next round you will sign papers to allow our investigators to confirm your story." He stopped for a moment and Carol took a deep breath. "Don't be nervous, just be you. We're not looking for actors here, we want real people. We have great acting coaches who will help on that end, but the most important thing is that we want this to be realistic - with genuine people. This show is about a group of survivors who band together - people from all walks of life. We want it to feel real and we wanted to do it in a groundbreaking way." Carol had to admit what they were planning was extremely ambitious and if it worked it would be revolutionary in the entertainment industry.

"Ready?" Jeff asked. Carol nodded again and it began. Once they got going Carol started to relax. It wasn't like a scary job interview, they were just asking all about her life and her personality. Everything from her childhood and her parents to her current situation.

"I recently got out of an abusive marriage," Carol said. She noticed the entire group perk up. It was a bit creepy but understandable. They were looking for a good backstory. "I should have left him years ago, before countless arm slings and black eyes, broken ribs and concussions."

"Your husband, what's his name?" One of the writers asked.

"Ex husband," Carol corrected him. "My divorce was finalized about a month ago." 27 days ago to be exact. "Ted. Ted Peletier," she answered.

"Kids?" Carol shook her head. She wanted children, but not with Ted. She decided that after the first miscarriage when he pushed her down a flight of stairs.

They asked several more questions about where she worked, her religious affiliation, even her political views. Carol answered honestly but the more she talked the more she worried she was boring them. "I know my life isn't very exciting, and I know this probably doesn't matter to you but I really need the money. I'm a hard worker and I promise I will do everything you ask of me," Carol spoke passionately. "I haven't been given a chance to do much in my adult life. I worked and fought hard to get away from my ex husband. I need something - something exciting. I want to live." They all appeared to be listening but Carol decided it was time to shut up. "I'm sorry about that," she added, hoping they wouldn't see her as unprofessional.

"Ms. Peletier, you realize if you get a role on this show it's going to change your life.

Not just the money, but you'll become a television star, recognized all over the world. This is a big deal. This show could change the entertainment business. Are you really ready to become a celebrity?" Jeff asked, looking at her, waiting for an answer.

Carol stared back at him and she nodded her head, "Yes sir, I am." She spoke with confidence even if she was completely freaking out on the inside. Was she really ready? Hell no. But they didn't need to know that.

"Okay then, if you'll just fill out this paper," he passed over a sheet of paper and a pen and Carol quickly added her personal information, phone number, address etc. "If we want you to come for a second audition we will have contacted you within a week." He stood and stretched out a hand. "Thank you for your time." Carol shook his hand and headed out of the room, feeling a bit dizzy and stunned.

"I want her," she heard one of the writers say in a hushed whisper as the door closed behind her. Carol felt her heart start to pound and she realized it was going to be the longest week ever.

She saw Daryl was still sitting in the hallway. She stopped in front of him and looked down. "Good luck," she said with a smile. "I bet they're gonna love you." Jesus, am I flirting? Carol wondered.

He snorted and looked up at her. Damn, he really was gorgeous. His eyes were squinty but she could see they were a really pretty blue. He had a rugged sex appeal, made even sexier by the fact that he clearly didn't see his own beauty. They would be crazy not to cast him - female viewers would go nuts. "Doubt it," he said.

Before Carol could reply a voice called out, it was Merle. "Hey, Princess, get in here, you're up." They had interviewed some family members together Carol had noticed.

She extended a hand and helped him to his feet. "Break a leg," she said.

Finally he smiled. Just a tiny, shy smile, barely making eye contact. "Thanks." With that he disappeared into the room and she headed outside.

27 days completely free. And Day 27 felt like a damn good one.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Mr. Dixon, we would like to speak with you and your brother. Are you available this afternoon?"_

He had received the phone call that morning and quickly stopped Merle from drinking anymore of the whiskey he was consuming for breakfast. The were in the truck, on the way to the studio. "This is fucking stupid," Daryl grumbled.

"It's only been two days since our first interview, they definitely want us," Merle replied. "Cheer up asswipe. We're gonna be TV stars."

Daryl clenched his jaw. He was still incredibly angry about the interview and what Merle had done. They asked for complete disclosure and he would have answered all the questions truthfully, but he had been called into an ambush. Merle had disclosed his own childhood abuse at the hands of their father so the first thing they had done was ask Daryl. Merle didn't know. If he wanted to be rational about the whole thing it wasn't Merle's fault. And afterwards Merle had been quite kind and considerate about the whole thing - but Daryl didn't want to talk about it. He didn't want to think about it. And he surely didn't want it to be included on some damn television show.

Hell, he didn't even want to be a part of this thing. The money was the only reason he agreed. If he got the role he could move out of Merle's, find his own place in a better part of town, or even buy some rural property and build a home in the woods, shoot deer and game off his back deck. He was way too old to be living with his brother and whatever random woman he was with at the time. But he'd never found a job that paid enough to get his own apartment, so he just stayed with Merle day after day, year after year.

When they got inside the building it was a lot different this time. There was no line up or room filled with people. They were led to a small waiting room with only a few others. There was a black man, which Merle, being the racist asshole he was, refused to sit beside, opting instead to sit beside an older white man who appeared to be extremely chatty, leaving the seat beside him vacant for Daryl to sit beside a young asian man. Merle smirked at him as if he'd won some contest. But Daryl ignored him - he didn't share his brother's white supremacist views even if Merle always believed he did.

Daryl thanked the Lord, even though he never really believed in god, when the older man - Dale - was called out of the waiting room. He'd never heard anyone talk that much. Daryl scanned the room a little more, disappointed when he didn't see that Carol woman from the other day. She seemed nice - and it didn't hurt that she was really pretty. Not Merle's kind of pretty. That was the two blonde women sitting across the room talking to the cop's wife.

Cops. Two of them. How the hell was that going to work when it came out that Merle was a dealer? Or used to be, as he liked to tell people, though Daryl knew differently. Money was coming from somewhere.

"Merle, Daryl, come with me," a woman called them from the door. Finally, let's get this shit over, he thought heading for the door. Merle stopped on the way out and said something to one of the attractive blondes. Daryl didn't hear but judging by the look on her face it was likely crude and disgusting.

A man greeted them when they entered. "Hi, I'm Jeff, we didn't meet the other day - but David filled me in." He shook their hands. All this formal shit was making Daryl extremely uncomfortable. He just wanted to be out in the woods with his crossbow, hunting deer. "Please sit." Merle sat and Daryl hovered until his brother started to glare.

"Daryl, the man asked us to sit," he hissed. Daryl slumped into a chair. "Sorry, my brother here is still a bit traumatized from telling y'all about our old man beating his ass. He's a very sensitive soul. Heart of gold and all that." Daryl kicked Merle's foot. He was laying it on way too thick again.

"I'm going to be honest with you both," Jeff said, leaning forward on the table. "Daryl, barring anything coming up in our investigation into your story - we want to offer you a role on the show." His heart started to pound. Was this really happening? "There are a few more things we would need to do," he continued. "Including some screen testing today."

"What, like I have to piss in a cup?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, no," Jeff looked amused and Daryl blushed. "Screen testing is where we have an actor read a few lines, sometimes with another actor and we film it to see how you look on camera."

"Oh," he mumbled, already worrying about what that might entail.

"Now, as for Merle, we have some concerns -" Jeff said, turning his attention. "We just aren't sure we're ready to risk taking a chance on you with your admitted drug use."

"Ah, come on, it's just some recreational pot, a little coke - all kinds of actors out in hollywood use," Merle protested. Daryl wished it was only pot and coke and there were no track marks on Merle's arms from shooting crystal meth and he didn't have a medicine cabinet full of narcotics.

"If you want me you gotta take him too," Daryl piped up. "Both or neither." He crossed his arms and tried to ignore the look of pride on Merle's stupid face. The ultimatum was risky, but the truth was Daryl was actually hoping they let them both go and saved him a lot of anxiety.

Jeff gave David a look and he nodded. "We are prepared to make you an offer Mr. Dixon," he said to Merle. "If you leave here today and sign into a treatment facility in the city, our expense - it's a very, very good place, and complete the program the job is yours."

Daryl had never seen Merle look so stunned. "I have to leave right now? Today?"

"Yes, we have a car waiting to take you there now," David replied. "But if you leave here the offer is done. We have plenty of others we could use instead."

They were playing hardball and Daryl nervously watched the exchange. "I can get clean on my own," Merle protested. "What if you set up weekly piss tests or something?"

"This is our only offer, take it or leave it," Jeff said. "This is a huge deal, for you and for us. It's a lot of money on both ends. Life changing. Career changing. We're not willing to allow some junkie to screw it up."

Merle was quiet. Silent Merle was never a good thing. But his brother may have never been in a situation like this, where he didn't have the upperhand before. "Okay, let's go," Merle replied finally, shocking the shit out of Daryl.

"Just like that?" Daryl spat.

Merle stood. "Do what you gotta do," he said with a shrug. Daryl was feeling a bit panicked. He was used to having Merle around even if he was fucking annoying. Daryl stood and Merle hugged him. "Don't fuck this up," he whispered. "If Dayna calls break up with her for me," Merle said. "Later Bro."

"Bye," Daryl said, watching in stunned silence as Merle was led out of the room.

"Okay," Jeff said. "Let's get you to that screen test." They certainly didn't waste any time. Daryl followed him out and down the hall. "We have you reading with one of the ladies we are potentially casting." Jeff opened a door and a man handed Daryl a piece of paper. "Head on in there with her and the director will let you know what he wants," Jeff added, pointing towards a little sound stage. Daryl's heart hammered nervously, but it pounded harder when he saw who was waiting for him. It was the woman from the other day - Carol.

The next few minutes were a complete blur. Daryl was so nervous he could barely hear what the director was saying to him. His hand holding the paper was shaking. When he looked at Carol she smiled at him and that only made it worse. She was beautiful.

Somehow he was able to read the script, but very badly, missing words, stumbling over words like he didn't know how to read. It was an absolute mess.

"Okay, this isn't working," the director guy interrupted them. "Give me back those scripts." Well I guess that's it, Daryl thought. They won't want me now. "We're gonna try something else." Shit. "You two know each other?"

"Not really," Carol shook her head. "We met briefly at the auditions."

"I want you to pretend you're meeting for the first time. Just make introductions and a little small talk," he said. "Let's try this instead. Acting coaches will help with the rest, I just need something on film that's not awkward and forced."

Well fuck. Daryl didn't do small talk. If the director thought them reading the script was awkward this was bound to be worse.

"Whenever you're ready. Pretend we're not even here."

Daryl shifted his weight and felt his face burning. But Carol looked calm. "Hi," she said, extending her hand to shake. "I'm Carol."

"Uh, Daryl," he replied, blushing harder when his voice cracked like a teenage boy going through puberty.

"Nice to meet you," she said with a smile. If she noticed the crack - of course she noticed - she was just ignoring it for his benefit. "What's new? Anything exciting happen today?" She asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Daryl's mind raced and he blurted the first thing he could think of. "My brother went to rehab in the city."

"Oh," Carol looked shocked. "Um, I'm sorry? Or, uh, good for him?" She obviously wasn't sure how to react.

"It's a good thing," Daryl confirmed. "Gonna be quiet at home for a while," he added with a shrug.

Her face changed and she smiled warmly. "Well maybe this means you're free for coffee later?" Wait, what? Was she serious? No, Daryl decided. She was acting and she was pretty damn good at it, much better than he was.

"Sure," he agreed with a nod. Why not say yes, it wasn't real.

Before Carol could respond the director jumped in. "And cut," he yelled. "Great job guys, thank you. Jeff will love this." He looked excited. "You two have insane chemistry, can't fake this stuff." Daryl felt like he was in the twilight zone. He was sure they were going to tell him they didn't want him. "So you can both go now, someone will be in touch in a day or two with the next step."

Carol picked up her purse and headed out. He followed, catching up to walk beside her since they were both go]ing in the same direction. It felt so strange to have showed up with Merle but leave without him - like he was forgetting something. "So," she looked at him sideways. "Where are you taking me for coffee?"

"Oh, uh, you were serious?" he stammered. Shit, she was looking at him with those pretty eyes that made him feel funny - like extra warm inside.

"Only if you want to," she replied. "But yes, I was serious."

Daryl was absolutely panicked. He didn't have a lot of experience with women like this. His experience was more women that Merle pushed his way or tipsy girls at the bar who thought he would be a good lay. Coffee meant talking - small talk - she had to know already he sucked at it. But there was something about her he really liked and they would be working together in the future. "There's a diner, just a couple blocks over, we could walk."

"Sounds perfect," she replied.

"Perfect," he echoed her words, wondering if she would still think it was a perfect idea after spending 10 minutes with him. He held the door for her and waved her through, with one last thought of his perverted brother as he checked out Carol's ass on her way by.


	3. Chapter 3

There were a lot of little diners in the small towns surrounding Atlanta. Everyone had their favorite and when all else failed there was always the Waffle House. The diner Daryl took her too she had only been once before. It was good, they all were, but Ted didn't take her out much so she really didn't have much experience dining out.

"So zombies huh?" Carol struck up the conversation. "Did you ever imagine you'd be on a TV show about zombies?"

"Can't say I ever imagined being on no TV show at all," he drawled in that low grunty tone of his, that was strangely sexy.

The waitress brought their coffee. "You wanna share a piece of pie? Pecan?" Carol asked, feeling the need to treat herself. Daryl shrugged. "Can we get a slice of Pecan, two forks?" she requested from the tiny brunette server. "So, your brother, you okay with that?"

He shrugged again. "It's probably for the best. This is 'bout the only way to get him to set foot in rehab."

Carol nodded. The waitress returned with the pie and she handed Daryl a fork. It was kind of weird to share a slice of pie with a complete stranger but they both dug in and started eating. After a few bites it seemed normal.

"So, this is a pretty big deal, huh?" she said, once she was done chewing. "You excited? You don't really seem excited."

"You don't neither," he threw the question back at her.

Carol knew he was right. "I haven't, uh, haven't really had many good things happen to me, ya know? If it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any at all." She took a sip of coffee. "I know it's silly, but I'm scared to get excited." She set down the cup. "So what about you?"

Daryl sighed. "I just really don't think this whole thing is for me. I just wanna be in the woods."

"Then why are you doing it?" Carol asked, curious as to why he would put himself through something he really didn't want to do.

He looked a bit embarrassed. "The money," he said honestly. "Once it's over and I get paid, I can just disappear." It sounded like a great plan, but Carol wondered if it was realistic. If this show was as big as they were expecting could a huge celebrity just leave it all behind and disappear? She didn't comment because she really wasn't in the mood to burst anyone's bubble.

The was a moment of awkward silence while Carol thought of another question. It was clear that Daryl was not a conversationalist, though she didn't mind. He was still polite. Sometimes it was nice to be around someone who just listened. "Do you have a big family? Wife? Kids?" She was pretty sure she knew the answer, but she asked anyway.

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, just Merle and me. That's all." Well at least they had that in common. Since she got the courage to leave Ted Carol had been pretty alone in the world. Her parents had passed years ago, no kids, she was an only child and Ted hadn't allowed her to make any friends. She was definitely looking forward to being around people, if she got the job.

"Are you, uh, married?" Daryl asked tentatively, his cheeks turning pink. He was making an effort and she appreciated that he was trying in his own awkward little way.

"I was," Carol admitted. "My divorce was just finalized about a month ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he replied sympathetically.

"Don't be, he was an abusive asshole." The whole world would know sooner or later, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to tell a man who was about to be a co worker.

She saw something in his eyes, it was more than sympathy - it was empathy - he understood her ordeal. This time when he spoke it sounded different even though it was the same words, "I'm sorry." She wanted to ask. She wanted to confirm that they shared a connection. But he wasn't offering and she didn't want to push in case it wasn't something he talked about. She studied his face a moment. She liked the bad boy look he presented, right down to the squinty eyes. They were a really pretty blue when she looked close.

A voice interrupted the moment. "Daryl, I didn't see you come in," squealed a tall redheaded waitress holding a coffee pot. "Okay, I can see them wanting you, with that pretty boy face and all - but Merle? Really? Where is that asshole anyway?"

Daryl looked uncomfortable. "What're you talking about?"

"The TV show silly," she drawled with a giggle.

"How do you know about that?" he asked, looking shocked. Carol was wondering the same thing herself. They had just found out - how could people possibly know already?

She swatted his arm. "You know news travels fast in a small town." Daryl glared at her. "And there was an article in today's paper. Here - " she wandered off and returned with a newspaper. Carol looked at the headline: The Lucky Ones. "It's all rumors but judging by your reaction, I'm guessing it's true about you and Merle at least." She touched his shoulder again, "Don't forget the little people when you become a big star, Handsome." With that she was gone.

Carol took a quick glance around the room. There were a lot of people talking and staring at them, mostly at Daryl. He turned the paper so they could both read and Carol started to quickly skim the article. It talked about how there had been open casting calls for locals to audition for a new TV show. Then it went on to name several "suspected" individuals who had been offered roles. Two police officers, Shane Walsh and Rick Grimes, as well as Rick's son Carl and wife Lori, brothers Merle and Daryl Dixon, sisters Andrea and Amy (last name not disclosed), Dale Horvath, Glenn Rhee, Theodore "T-Dog" Douglas, and Carol Peletier - Shit, her name was there too - right there in black and white.

The article talked more about the show and the revolutionary idea they had to cast locals. It also said they would film everything in the Atlanta area, bringing a lot of attention and hopefully business to the local communities. The last line was strangely unnerving - _Friends, family, neighbors - chances are someone you know is about to become a famous TV star, or as we have dubbed them - The lucky ones._

Carol was mistified. "How do they know? We just found out ourselves."

Daryl grunted. "Someone tipped em off." He looked rather annoyed.

"Well I guess it was bound to come out eventually," she rationalized. "Might as well get used to people knowing." It made her a bit nervous because nothing was official yet and she really was paranoid about jinxing it.

Out of the corner of her eye Carol saw two teenage girls approaching. "Um, Mr. Dixon?" They both giggled and looked nervous. "Can we have your autograph?" Carol bit her lip, Daryl was staring at them blankly like they were speaking another language. "Please?" the other girl added, giving him a sweet little pout. It was probably innocent, but the way they looked so starstruck and enamoured by a middle aged man was a bit creepy.

"Uh, I guess so," he muttered taking the pen and napkin. He scribbled on it and handed it back.

"Thank you so much," they gushed giggling excitedly. Carol listened as they walked away. "Oh my God, he's so hot," one of them whispered.

"What the fuck was that?" Daryl asked, once again looking extremely uncomfortable. Oh the poor, poor man, he had no clue what he was in for. She perversely enjoyed watching him squirm. There was something so shy and childlike about him that she found instantly endearing. They were going to be good friends, she could tell already.

Carol smiled at him. "Welcome to your new life Pookie."


	4. Chapter 4

This is so dumb, Carol thought, feeling extremely nervous. After people recognized Daryl earlier that day because of the article, the smart thing to do would have been to stay home. But no, instead she had decided it would be a good night to go out for a drink, at a bar, she had never been to before.

Carol hadn't actually been to a bar on her own since before she started dating Ned, though he'd been to his fair share. The one she had picked, that she was standing in front of, was known as the "cops bar." Ned, and many other locals, wouldn't set foot in the Pink Pony because the police often stopped there for a drink after work, given it was right across the street from the station.

There were lots of bars to choose from downtown, The Wild Trampoline, The Devil's Barn, Char's and Shiny Taps, but Carol decided the Pink Pony would be the safest bet for a single woman who had little experience with the bar scene. If she ran into any trouble, which was highly unlikely in that bar, there was very likely to be a cop around.

All she wanted to do was to go in, have a drink and maybe an appetizer and then head home. It was simply a way to exercise her freedom and start to feel what it was like to be single. She could do what she wanted whenever she wanted to. It was exciting, but it was also very scary. Now that she would have a source of income she wasn't as concerned about going out and spending a little.

Carol wasn't prepared for the place to be as busy as it was but she ignored the anxiety that filled her and stuck to her plan. She sat at a small bar table on a high stool with her back to most of the room. "What can I get you?" a young female server asked.

"Oh, um," Carol pondered for a moment. It had been so long since she'd had a drink she couldn't remember what she liked. "Can you surprise me? Something sweet, fruity maybe?"

The server smiled. "Of course, I'll bring you my favorite, you'll love it. Anything to eat?"

"Maybe a little later," Carol replied, changing her mind about the appetizer since her tummy was upset from nerves.

She only had time to take one sip before a pretty blonde woman approached her. "It's Carol right?" She asked. Carol nodded. The woman looked familiar, but she couldn't place her. "I'm Andrea. We're going to be on the show together." Okay, now it made sense. She had seen the woman at the auditions with another pretty blonde. "Would you like to join us?" Andrea asked. "Several of us ladies thought it might be fun to get to know each other, have a few drinks and celebrate our good luck." Carol looked over her shoulder and saw a table with a few women. "It's just my sister Amy, Jacqui, and Lori she's Rick's wife - rumor is he's gonna be the male lead of the show." Carol felt both nervous and excited. It was nice to be included, but she was so used to Ned hovering whenever she was around other people that it was never fun.

"Sure, I would love to join you," she replied, hopping down off her barstool and picking up her drink. "I'm not staying long, but it will be nice to meet everyone."

"Oh you have to stay for a bit, at least long enough to say hello to Rick and Shane too. They're going to stop by after their shift," Andrea explained. "Lori thinks they will be here by 10:30."

"Okay," Carol nodded. She was starting to relax already. Andrea was really nice. When she got to the table introductions were made and she took a seat beside Lori.

Carol was quiet for a while, as she just enjoyed listening to the chatter and laughter. But eventually they started asking her questions. "So, are you married? Boyfriend? Kids?" Lori asked her.

"Oh, no kids. And I was married, but I've been divorced for about a month now." Her heart was pounding for some reason and she wondered if she should say any more. They would find out soon enough about her abusive past. She decided against it. They were celebrating, no sense in dampening the mood. Carol sucked back the last sip of her drink and ordered another. She wasn't even sure what the drink was called but it was delicious. She ignored the way everything seemed a little sharper and the slight buzz swirling around inside her. She hadn't drank in so long it was expected. One more, she decided. After that she would switch to water.

Carol took a big swig of the fresh drink the waitress set in front of her. Damn it was delicious. The next thing she knew it was gone and Lori was ordering her another, with a third glass of wine for herself. There was a lot of giggling happening and Carol was pretty sure she had never laughed that much in her entire life. But she had no idea what was so funny. No idea at all. But she did know she really had to pee.

Silence. Absolute and utter silence. Daryl had truly thought he was going to enjoy the peace and relaxation of having Merle away, but he'd only been home for three hours and he was already feeling uncomfortable. It was utterly ridiculous.

He'd considered heading out into the woods but they were calling for rain and he wasn't in the mood to get soaked. It could go from not a drop of rain to torrential downpours in a matter of minutes. Besides, it was close to dark by that point anyway. By the time he got out there he would have to turn around and come back.

There wasn't a damn thing on television, especially since he didn't really care for TV in the first place. He actually considered turning on some porn and getting himself off sitting there on the couch but it seemed like such a Merle thing to do. He decided he would just stick to bed or the shower as usual.

Daryl tapped his fingers on the arm of the couch. How could a man be so bored that even masturbating wasn't interesting? Even if he was the type of guy to go out and find a one night stand - this certainly wasn't the time for anything so… scandalous. He rolled his eyes. This TV star shit was not his thing. It never was going to be his thing. Eyes on the prize, Daryl thought, picturing the house in the country he was going to build with his money.

He tapped a few more times and then jumped up. "Gotta get out of here," he muttered. Daryl jumped in his truck and headed for the bar him and Merle often went to for a few beer and to shoot pool. It was called The Devil's Barn and some nights it really lived up to its name. But during the week it wasn't too bad.

Daryl headed in, found a quiet spot at the bar, ordered a beer and prayed that no one would ask where Merle was. He got lucky and after two beer no one had said a word to him. With the article in the paper it was very surprising, but everyone was wrapped up in their own thing and no one had really noticed him. Yet.

Around 10 it started. And by 10:15 he was on the way out the door. People he'd known all his life were snapping pictures, asking for autographs - some were actually serious. He avoided answering questions about Merle but when people started to push he decided to hightail it out of there, making some excuse about an early morning the next day.

Daryl decided to wander down the street. He figured he'd get a little fresh air before he went home to bed. It still hadn't rained at all. Fucking weatherman, he thought. He walked a full 8 blocks to the other end of town. As he passed the police station the door open and two men came walking out.

"Hey," one of them called out. "You're Daryl, right?" Fuck, he really hoped to duck his head and keep going, but it was too late now.

"Yeah," he replied, trying to sound somewhat polite instead of his usual gruff and annoyed tone. He realized quickly that it was the two cops that had been cast with him on the show.

"I'm Rick and this is Shane," he said, extending a hand. Daryl shook it and then shook Shane's hand as well. "Listen, my wife and some of the other ladies on the cast are over at the Pink Pony. We're just about to join them for a drink. You should come too."

The Pink Pony? The cop bar? Was he high? "Nah, the Pink Pony ain't really my style…" Daryl started.

"Oh come on," Shane jumped in. "We're gonna be working together for at least a few months, maybe even a few years if the show is successful. Might as well get to know each other better."

"I don't know," Daryl sighed. He had never set foot in that bar in his life. If Merle went in there he was likely to get arrested within 15 minutes. They just steered clear of the cop's hangout. But Merle wasn't there. Maybe…

"Just come for one beer," Rick pressed. "It's on me."

Well, it certainly wasn't right to turn down a free drink, now was it? Daryl gave a nod. "Okay, I'll have one I guess." He was nervous before they even got inside the bar. Daryl wasn't a social guy, he was very much a loner. One quick beer and he was out.

"There they are," Shane said, spotting the ladies at a table in the back. Daryl looked towards the table and his heart skipped a beat. Sitting beside Rick's wife, smiling and laughing was Carol. He hadn't expected to see her again until they got called back into work. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

He realized as he got closer that the ladies were drunk. Every single one of them. "Some days it's good to be a bachelor," Shane teased Rick, knowing he would have his hands full later on.

"Ohhh look, it's Daryl," Carol gushed, slurring slightly, as he took the empty seat beside her. "Look, look at that pretty face," she said, patting his cheek. "He's gonna be the heartthrob of the show, just wait and see. The girls were already drooling over him this afternoon," she said to the other ladies.

Daryl blushed and he heard Shane and Rick snort. "Stahhhp," he drawled, giving Carol a look. He was a bit nervous as to what she might say next. He knew what drunk women could be like. But she seemed to sense he was uncomfortable and backed off, but not before giving him a private look that he couldn't really figure out.

The waitress arrived with his beer and Daryl busied himself with his drink, listening to the loud chatter. Despite being nervous in the group setting he quickly got the sense he was with a good bunch of people. Rick did a good job of including him in the conversation, without pressuring him. And Carol kept bumping his leg accidentally, but each time it was a reminder that she was right beside him and for some reason that was comforting.

He took a moment to consider what Merle would think about all of this. Daryl knew right away his brother wouldn't approve. He could hear his voice, 'these aren't our kind of people, don't fool yourself Bro. They don't give a shit about you like I do.' But on the other hand, he knew Merle wouldn't miss the opportunity to get drunk Andrea or Amy in his bed. Or Carol… His eyes snapped to her. Nah, she wasn't Merle's type. Her hair was too short. Her boobs were too small. And she was too close to his age. Merle liked them young. Besides, he wouldn't let that happen anyway.

He watched her laughing and felt the strangest urge to smile. He didn't smile very often, but somehow she was able to make that happen without even trying. Suddenly he felt her hand on his leg. It was innocent, but he froze. "Are you having fun?" she asked quietly, looking at him with those bright, stunning blue eyes. Daryl nodded. His voice seemed to have left him for the time being. Somewhere in those eyes was the sober Carol - reserved, sharp, lacking confidence at times - much like him in some respects. But drunk Carol was having a great time with drunk Lori, drunk Andrea, drunk Amy and drunk Jacqui.

The little moment reminded him that she was aware he was there even if she was mostly lost in conversation with the ladies. Rick and Shane moved closer so the three of them could talk. "We should probably make sure they all get home safely," Shane said. "I'll take Andrea and Amy."

"Jacqui lives a couple blocks from us," Rick said, indicating that he would make sure she gets home safe.

"Oh, uh, this is my 4th beer, but um, I can share a cab with Carol," Daryl stammered. He wasn't usually the type of guy who walks a girl home, mostly because he didn't spend a lot of time with girls, but the cops were including him in the safety plan and he really didn't have a choice. At least he got Carol who he sort of knew, as opposed to one of the others he'd barely spoke to.

The waitress came back to see if they wanted another drink. "Hell yeah, give me another," Carol answered quickly. She was echoed quickly by the other ladies.

"I think it's time to go," Rick interrupted.

"What? Noooooooo. Come on. One more. Please?" There was a chorus of whining from the women.

"I think y'all have had plenty," Shane tried to help.

Carol was pouting. It was kind of cute. Daryl leaned over. "We're gonna share a cab. I'll make sure you get home safe."

She gave him a huge smile and he felt a bit fluttery inside. "Well who knew?" she drawled. "I really didn't take you for the chivalrous type Mr. Dix - on." She smirked as she elongated the 'Dix' part and he felt his cheeks burn. She's drunk, he reminded himself. Really, really drunk. "It's kinda romantic," she added, biting her lip. Daryl was pretty sure this woman had no fucking clue how sexy she was.

He needed to get her home and get himself home ASAP. "Let's go," he said, standing up and offering her a hand. There was a little step down out of the booth and she completely missed it. Daryl lunged and caught her just in time.

He was holding her against his chest and Carol looked up at him. She blinked innocently and smiled. "Whoopsie." She reached for his arms to help herself stand up. "Ohhhh wow," she squeezed his biceps a couple of times and looked at him, biting her lip again. Fuck, she needs to stop doing that, he thought. Daryl blushed again. The way she was looking at him was very confusing and it made him feel squirmy. Drunk, she's drunk. Probably won't remember a lick of this tomorrow.

He had to help her outside because Carol could barely walk. "What the hell were you drinking tonight?" he asked her.

"Oh they were so yummy… I think Lori said they were, ummm tornados? No, typhoons? No wait…"

"Hurricanes?" Daryl offered. That would make perfect sense. Hurricanes were known for being rather potent. A lot of sugar. A lot of rum, vodka, and several other kinds of liquor.

"Yessssss," she said excitedly. "High five." Carol held up her hand and he quickly slapped it. "I knew it was some kind of natural disaster."

Daryl shook his head. "You are gonna be one sick puppy tomorrow."

Carol let go of his arm and spun around in a circle. "I feel amazinggggggggggg." Daryl grabbed her before she fell on her face. She leaned on him again as they waited for the cab Rick called for them. Carol yawned. "Actually, I feel kinda tired."

She yawned 3 more times before the cab showed up and Daryl somehow wrangled her into it. Carol was leaning on him when he finally got the door shut. "Where we going?" the cabby asked.

"Oh, uh, what's your address?" he asked Carol. She didn't respond. "Carol?" He looked over and realized she had passed out, her head on his shoulder. Fuck. Now what? Daryl thought. He tried to shake her but she was out cold. Daryl sighed and gave the driver his address. Apparently he wasn't spending the night alone after all.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: I don't like begging for feedback and I really try not to do it. But I have been in a crazy funk lately with no inspiration to write. I know it would really help to hear from a few of you so I can try to get my mojo back (you don't have to sign in, you can comment as a guest). Thank you to the few of you who leave a review on every chapter, it's very appreciated. And whether you do take a moment to review or not - I do truly thank you for reading. I'm trying hard to be inspired and I do love the concept of this fic, so it's often the easiest for me to work on. This is more of a relationship building chapter for Caryl - I hope you enjoy._

The first time Carol woke up he was ready with a bucket. She was completely disoriented and had no clue where she was - understandably, but she was so sick she threw up violently and fell right back to sleep. The second time - they weren't so lucky. He decided to try to get her to the bathroom so he could give her a cold cloth and maybe get her to drink some water, but they didn't make it.

"Why the fuck didn't I bring the bucket?" he muttered, looking down at the mess on the floor - and his socks. When he looked back at Carol any little bit of anger or annoyance he felt dissipated. She was a mess and he felt awful for her.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." She just kept mumbling those words over and over, but now she was crying too. Her big blue eyes all shiny with tears was killing him.

"It's alright," he soothed her. "Let's just get you to the bathroom." Daryl quickly took off his socks to avoid tracking stuff through the house and helped Carol get situated in front of the toilet. He wet a washcloth and put it on the back of her neck while she heaved. When she lifted her face he handed it to her so she could wipe herself off.

"Why are you being so nice to me? I'm a gross mess," she whined, tears streaming down her face.

Daryl shrugged, "My other plans fell through." He managed to get a tiny smile out of her. "You okay for a minute while I go clean up the hall?"

"I'm sorry," she said, welling up again. "I'll clean it up. I will."

She started to stand. "No, stay there and focus on keeping the rest in the toilet," Daryl instructed. "It's not a big deal." Smells and gross things had never bothered him. He gut deer and cleaned game all the time. A little puke was nothing.

By the time he returned she was slumped in the corner, passed out once again. She'd thrown up a lot in the last hour or so and Daryl had a feeling she was probably done, at least until morning. It was 3am by that point and he'd yet to sleep. He gently nudged Carol but when she didn't wake up he just bent down and scooped her into his arms. He carried her back to the couch, moved the bucket close in case he was wrong and covered her up. He watched her for a moment as she snuggled the blanket close. It was rather amusing since she hadn't even seemed to notice him pick her up and carry her, but once she was comfy on the couch again her body seemed to notice.

Daryl left her and took a quick shower, changed his clothes and went back to the living room to sleep on the other couch incase she needed him. He was out almost instantly and didn't wake again until the phone started to ring. "Oh god," he groaned. It was 11am, but he was still exhausted.

Daryl fumbled around for his phone. "Hello? Oh, today? Really? What time?" The execs wanted him at the studio at 1pm. "Uh," he looked over at Carol who had just started stirring. "Are you um, are you calling in everyone today? Or just me?"

"The entire cast will be coming in between 1 and 2," the man informed him. "We have papers ready for everyone to take and review - with a lawyer if you prefer, and the writers want to go over storyline ideas with some of y'all."

"Oh - um okay, yep, thanks," Daryl replied. He hung up and watched Carol rubbing her eyes. The poor woman was going to have a rough day. "How are you feeling?" he asked gently.

She turned her head slowly, looked at him and ran for the bathroom. Even though Daryl felt bad for her he took a moment to chuckle before going to check on her. Carol had her head back against the wall and her eyes closed. "Just leave me here to die," she moaned. "Why do people drink? Why?"

"Did you have fun last night?" Daryl asked.

Her eyes blinked open. "The parts I can remember, yes." She put her head in her hands. "Oh, no… there are moments coming back that I really, reallllllly want to forget." Carol peeked at him from behind her fingers. "I puked on your floor didn't I?" Daryl nodded. "Please tell me I cleaned it up?" Daryl shook his head. "Oh God, I'm so sorry…" Her eyes were tearing up again.

"Stop," he drawled. "It's fine."

After a moment of silence she spoke. "Thank you. For everything you did last night." She bit her lip. "I didn't do anything… stupid… did I? Like between us…"

"You think I would take advantage of ya?" Daryl snapped, feeling his skin prickle.

"No, no," Carol said quickly. "That's not what I meant… please," she tried to stand and doubled over.

Daryl reached for her and helped steady her. "Come on, let's get you back to the couch and I'll get you some water."

"Please don't be mad," she begged him. There was this strange look of terror in her eyes that made him very uneasy - it was like she was scared of what would happen if she made him mad. It only took him a second to connect the dots because he understood that look better than anyone.

"I ain't mad," Daryl said gently as he helped her sit. "I just… over reacted. I ain't that kinda guy, despite what most people think when they look at me."

"I'm sorry," Carol said, touching his leg. "I truly wasn't making that assumption. I just wanted to know if I did anything towards you to embarrass myself because I just don't remember everything. It's scary." Her voice was genuine and Daryl believed her. "I don't judge people before I get to know them - promise." She gave him a tired smile. "Besides, from what I know you seem like a pretty great guy."

Daryl scoffed, feeling heat in his neck. "Yeah, don't know 'bout that."

She squeezed his leg. "You are."

"Ain't nothing Rick or Shane wouldn't have done," he shrugged.

"I know," she smiled again. "You're every bit as good as them. Every bit." Daryl didn't respond as he let her words swirl in his mind. Who was this woman? And how did she have more confidence in him already than he'd ever had in himself? As much as he really didn't want to get involved with anything to do with this stupid job he was taking, including getting to know his co-workers, he couldn't help but be intrigued by her. Was he ready to make friends? Was he ready to let someone get to know him? The real Daryl - not the angry, badass front he put on. Maybe.

Carol sighed. "You okay?" he asked again.

"My head… it's pounding," she moaned.

"I'll get ya something. How strong you want?" Daryl asked standing up. "Got regular Tylenol, Aleve, extra strength Advil Gel caps - probably some Tylenol 2s and I'm sure Merle has some perks around here somewhere." He paused. "Oh and before you decide… we have to be to the studio in about an hour and a half," Daryl added quickly.

"What?" she gasped, looking sick again. "You're joking right? Please tell me that's a joke?"

"Sorry," he looked at her sympathetically. "They called just as you were waking up. I'm sure you have a message at home. They said the entire cast is being called in." Daryl almost laughed again at the look of absolute horror on her face. "Look on the bright side, I don't think Lori, Andrea, Amy or Jacqui are in any better shape than you are."

Carol gave him a dirty look and sunk back on the couch cushion. "Better give me a couple of the Advil," she sighed. Daryl returned with water and 2 gel caps. "How are we doing this? I'm so gross," she looked down at her clothes. "And I smell," she finished with a pout.

Daryl thought for a moment. "Well I showered last night, but why don't I go clean up and change while you let those pills kick in. Then you can take a quick shower and I'll find you something to throw on until we get you home to change. We'll just stop by your place and then ride together to the studio, get our vehicles after." It was going to be a scramble to get 3 vehicles home with two drivers, but they could figure it out.

She nodded and he took off to get ready. He probably should have mentioned that she would have to ride on his motorcycle, which might not be all that comfortable in her condition. Oh well, if they had to call a cab again they could.

Daryl returned 20 minutes later. "I put towels and clothes in there for you. They'll be huge on you, but they're clean," he said with a shrug.

"Thank you," Carol said as she stood up. He reached for her as she wobbled. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy." She took a moment and then headed for the bathroom. Daryl started to tidy up a few things to kill time while he was waiting for her. When he returned from taking the puke bucket outside to clean it he heard a loud thump from the bathroom.

Daryl ran for the door and banged on it. "Carol? Carol?" he called. He could hear the shower running. "Are you okay?" When she didn't answer he opened the door and peeked in. Her clothes were on the floor and the shower curtain was pulled shut. "Carol?" he tried again. She still didn't answer so he sucked in a breath and moved to the shower. "Oh Fuck," he hissed when he looked in. Carol was wet, naked, and passed out, lying on the bottom of the tub with water raining down on her.


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl scrambled for the taps and shut the water off. "Carol. Carol?" he called out her name, hoping for a response, while trying to avoid looking at her naked body like a creepy freak. "Towel, get a towel you idiot," he muttered. Daryl grabbed a towel and quickly spread it over her, covering all the parts he shouldn't be looking at. "Carol?" he tried again, reaching for her face. She stirred when he touched her and Daryl felt instant relief.

"What? What happened?" she moaned. When Carol opened her eyes she immediately tried to sit up. There was a crazy look of terror as she took in her surroundings.

"Stay down," Daryl urged her, blocking her from sitting up. "You must have passed out. Do you remember anything?"

Carol looked down at the towel and then up at him. "Oh God," she groaned. Her face turned red. "You saw… I was… you came in and…"

Daryl felt his own cheeks burn at the memory of her nude body. It was an image he wasn't going to forget anytime soon. If he was being honest, it was also one he wouldn't mind seeing again - in different circumstances. "Oh, uh, I grabbed the towel, right away," he said, trying to make her feel better.

Carol hid her face in her hands. "I am a disaster." She peeked at him. "I'm so sorry. Are you mad?"

What the…? Why would she think that? "'Course not," he shook his head. "I'm just glad you're okay."

She looked relieved. "I should have known better," Carol sighed. "Hot water when you're already feeling dizzy is not a good combo." She pulled the towel more securely around herself. Daryl noticed the red blotch on her cheek was starting to get bigger and darker. Carol touched it and winced.

"Must have hit your cheek when you fell," he said. "I can get some ice if ya want?" he offered.

"Oh no, I'm okay," she shook her head. "I've had much worse, this is nothing." Carol gave him a smile that made him feel so sad. "I think I'm alright now. I'll just finish up quickly."

"Are you sure?" Daryl asked. He was hesitant to leave her in case she got dizzy again. He reached to steady her as she stood up. He got a glimpse of her ass before she adjusted the towel and had to turn away before she saw his cheeks go pink again. "If you uh, need anything…I'll be right out there," he pointed to the hallway.

"Thanks," she called after him as Daryl rushed into the hall and shut the door behind him. Once he was in the hall he finally took a breath. He really needed to pull himself together. How was he supposed to work with this woman when all he could think about were those lovely little breasts with perfect perky nipples that he would love to suck? Daryl had never been much of a boob man, not like Merle who said the bigger the better. Carol's tits… they were… Fuck, gotta stop thinking about them, he screamed in his mind. So he stopped thinking about her boobs by turning his attention to those hips and that quick glimpse of her ass. She really didn't look like the type of woman who was hiding a body like that. He had never seen her wear anything tight or revealing - though she clearly had a lot of great parts to accentuate.

Daryl shook his head. He didn't know her well, but one thing he did know already was that she was complex and she was full of surprises. Maybe this new job wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Okay, I'm ready," Carol announced as she emerged from the bathroom. Daryl tried not to laugh at the sight of her in a pair of his joggers and a long sleeved tee. She looked like a child playing dress up. "I'm gonna need an extra few minutes with my makeup to try and cover this bruise." Daryl looked at her face. It was pretty bad.

"You sure you don't need to get that checked out?" he asked. "How bad does it hurt?"

Carol gave him a look. "I'm fine," she insisted. "No more trips to the ER." Again he felt a pang of sadness for what she'd been through. "Let's go, don't want to be late."

They started to walk towards the front door and Daryl decided he'd better break the news. "So, do you think your hungover ass and banged up face can handle a bike ride?"

"Huh?" she looked confused.

"Motorcycle," he clarified. "It's the only option we've got unless you want to call a cab again…"

They walked out to the garage and Daryl opened the door. His bike and Merle's bike were side by side. "Oh… I've never been on one before… But… it's fine I guess."

Daryl decided to accept her answer quickly before she changed her mind. She didn't look quite as pale as she did before and not nearly as green as she was first thing. He gently placed his helmet on her head - he rarely wore it anyway - and did it up. "Feel okay?" She nodded slowly. He climbed on the bike and backed it out before firing it up. He waited a moment for Carol to climb on but she was hesitating. "Come on," he said. "Ain't got all day." He hadn't intended it to sound as snarky as it did. She shot him a look, but it worked because they next thing he knew she was climbing on the back and wrapping her arms around his waist. There was this strange fearless quality that seemed to pop out of her once in awhile that Daryl found really interesting. Maybe it was rooted in her stubborn nature - because it was very clear she was stubborn as a mule.

When they stopped at the first stoplight he decided he should probably check on her. "Doin' okay?"

She smiled. "Little nauseous, but I'll be fine."

Carol gave him directions earlier and within 15 minutes they were at her place. They actually didn't live that far from one another. Hmm, interesting, he thought. No it's not interesting you dumbass, another voice in his head spoke. What am I? Schizophrenic? Daryl wondered. Why so many voices?

"Daryl?" He suddenly realized she was talking to him. "Are you okay? I kept you up last night, didn't I? You're tired, aren't you?"

"What? No, I'm fine. Slept great," Daryl protested. She really wanted to feel guilty about something, didn't she?

Carol sighed, "If you say so." She jerked her head towards the house. "Come in, you can make us coffee while I get changed. I think I'm ready to put something on my stomach." Daryl followed her in. He really liked her ability to make him feel at ease. Most people made him put his guard up instantly and he turned into an asshole which made them think he really was an asshole effectively ending any chance of developing a friendship. It was a vicious circle he found himself in over and over. Carol showed him to the coffee maker and supplies and was gone.

He was sitting at her kitchen table drinking his second cup when she appeared. He did a double take when she walked in the room. She looked different… First of all she'd done a pretty good job at covering the bruise on her cheek. He could still tell, but it was likely because he knew it was there. Secondly… She was wearing a tight blouse that actually showed a little bit of cleavage, with a pair of jeans and boots - motorcycle boots.

"What?" she said, looking down at her outfit. "I bought some new clothes… Stuff Ned wouldn't let me wear. But is the outfit awful? You're looking at me weird. I thought maybe you would appreciate the Harley boots," she added with a smile, modelling them for him.

"You look fine," Daryl muttered, trying not to stare at her boobs. Instead he looked at the boots. "Merle has the same style in mens. Expensive."

"Hmm, yes, I put them back three times," she admitted. "But hey, I finally have a functional reason to wear them." Carol poured a coffee and drank it quickly. "Don't think I'm ready for food, but I can make you something before we go… if you want?"

Daryl shook his head. "Maybe we can grab something after?" The truth was… he was feeling nervous about the meeting for some reason. He didn't want to pay a lawyer but he was worried he wouldn't understand the contract and sign on for something he wasn't bargaining for. But he realized after it was too late that it really just sounded like he was trying to make another date with her. Carol was smirking at him and he looked away.

"That works," she replied. "Okay, we should go I guess. Don't want to be late. I checked my messages and I'm supposed to be there the same time as you."

They arrived in the parking lot 10 minutes early. But unfortunately Rick, Lori and Carl arrived at the same time. Lori was wearing big sunglasses and she looked even worse than Carol had earlier. They all ended up walking in together. Carol was chatting with Lori who was holding Carl's hand. Rick hung back a bit with him. "So, uh, you got Carol home safe last night I see," Rick commented.

Daryl shot him a look and realized Rick was trying not to smile. "Yep," he replied.

"Her home? Or yours?" the cop added. When Daryl glared again he saw that Rick couldn't hold back the smile this time.

"It ain't like that," Daryl muttered.

"Uh huh," Rick teased.

"It ain't," Daryl snapped loudly. It was enough that the women looked back at them strangely.

Rick waited until they turned back. "Hey, sorry man… I didn't mean anything by it."

"You really think I would take advantage of her like that?" Daryl hissed. He was so tired of people thinking the worst of him.

"No… I… I'm sorry…" Rick was stammering.

He really did seem like he was sorry and Daryl found himself explaining what happened. "She passed out in the cab before I could find out where she lived. So I took her to my place and she slept on the couch, barfed on my floor, fainted this morning in my shower… and here we are."

"Shower?" Rick asked with a grin. Fuck, why do I even speak? Daryl asked himself.

"She was alone," Daryl grumbled. "Ain't nothing going on." His eyes wandered to Carol's ass and he couldn't look away.

"Uh huh," Rick said again. "Not yet…"

"Yep, and this is exactly why I hate people," Daryl muttered, walking on ahead as Rick chuckled behind him.


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Note: I truly hope you guys are still enjoying this. I know it's a little slow paced and I apologize for that. In a few more chapters I'll probably jump ahead a bit_. _But just to give a little teaser of what's to come… Filming will start soon so we'll see how Daryl reacts to wardrobe and makeup :) And perhaps this new exciting show will get an invite to do a panel at SDCC… perhaps :) Is Daryl ready for the fangirls?_

 **Chapter 7**

Carol was sitting between Daryl and Lori in the lounge, waiting for her turn. Dale went in first - which was probably a bad move for all involved given his level of chattiness. Carol really liked him though. He had a wisdom about him that only comes with age and experience and she had a feeling he was someone you could talk through your problems with. It was always nice to have a person like that in your life.

Lori tapped her leg and Carol jumped. She hadn't been expecting it. "What are you all doing on Saturday?" she said, addressing everyone who was in the room. Carol didn't miss the look of surprise on Rick's face, clearly Lori was acting on impulse. "I want to have you all over to our place - for dinner."

"I'm in," Shane spoke quickly. "But I'll help you cook," he added with a smirk. "I'll BBQ something."

Rick was smirking too. Clearly Lori's cooking skills were a joke between the friends. "I'll come," Glenn replied. "Might be a bit late with work, so you guys better save me some food."

"Carol? Daryl?" Lori looked over at them.

"Oh, uh, I'm free," Carol replied with a smile. "Can I bring something?"

"Dessert?" Lori suggested.

"Of course," Carol replied, excited to try a new recipe. She looked over at Daryl. "Are you busy?" she asked, hoping he wasn't. She was already wondering when they might see one another again after they parted ways later on.

He seemed hesitant at first, but she continued to look at him hopefully and finally he gave in. "Nah not busy. I can come," Daryl said. "I can bring beer, but I ain't much of a cook."

"Oh don't you worry about that sweetie," Jacqui jumped in. "I make a mean potato salad and I can bring some little appetizers too."

Carol found herself smiling as the buzz and chatter continued. Ned never took her to parties. She heard about these pot luck type events but other than a couple church socials she'd never been to something like this. It sounded like everyone in the room would be able to attend. Carol was already looking forward to it, but the lingering headache made her decide that this time she was doing it completely sober.

"Carol, your turn." She looked up and saw Dale at the door.

"Oh, thanks," she said, giving Daryl a quick smile before she walked out. As she left she could hear Lori and the others talking to Dale about the party.

There was a young lady she'd never seen before waiting to lead her to the office. When she entered the room was filled with more people she either hadn't met before or didn't remember. There were quick introductions but Carol knew she was never going to remember all their names. The important thing was that she knew the crowd included a lawyer, the showrunner, and executive producer and a few writers. Oh, and apparently there was a woman from wardrobe that would take her measurements before she left.

"We'll keep this quick Ms. Peletier," the showrunner said. Carol was overwhelmed by the number of people in the room and she'd already forgot his name. "Your screentest was phenomenal and we think you're gonna have a real talent for acting. There was an interesting chemistry with Daryl too that the writers are thinking about exploring." She felt her cheeks flush both from the compliment and the thought of chemistry between her and Daryl. They really had hit it off quickly and she was confident they would become good friends. "What it comes down to is this - we are now absolutely certain we want to offer you a role on the show and we have a contract prepared for you to take and review." He pushed over a thick stack of papers held together with a paper clip. "We want you to take this home and review it. We do recommend you go over it with a lawyer." Carol nodded. "We'll be in touch late next week to bring you back in to sign or discuss amendments - or answer any questions you might have." She took a deep breath, feeling a bit dizzy again but more from all the information coming at her than her hangover.

"If your lawyer has any questions…" He passed her a card. "He can contact our legal team for clarification." The showrunner locked his fingers. "Is there anything you want to ask us right now? I know this is all a little overwhelming, but everything will start to come together soon, I promise."

"Uh, no… I can't think of anything at the moment," Carol replied. Her brain was way too scrambled.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Okay, just one more thing before we do your measurements for wardrobe. I'll turn it over to Kevin - one of the writers - to explain."

They were all very kind and Carol started to relax - until she heard the idea. "We would like to cast your husband and also give your character a child - a daughter."

"Ned?" Carol asked, feeling panic seize her body. "You want to cast him too?"

"Oh God, no no no," Kevin replied quickly. "Oh shoot, I'm sorry, I should have explained better." The panic eased up slightly. "While the majority of the cast will be real people like yourself we have plans to cast a few actors for little things we want to tweak and change to make the story a little more interesting."

"Okay..." Carol said, still feeling unsure. "But isn't it like illegal or something to impersonate Ned?"

"Well for starters his name will be changed to Ed for the show," Kevin explained. "And while we would like to have you in a domestic abuse situation we aren't going to model him closely enough to your ex for him to have any ground to stand on in a lawsuit - if it ever came to that." Carol struggled to find her breath. "We understand it might be difficult for you, but we really want to include your past as part of the character's story. In all honesty - it's the main reason we picked you. It's going to be an important part of your character's arc."

"So what happens if I refuse?" Carol asked nervously.

Several people exchanged looks. "We really hope it won't come to that - but we have already started scripts and we're so happy with where they are going we would have to look at casting an actor."

Carol fought off the panic. She'd spent a lifetime taking abuse from Ed. Whatever they had planned for the show wasn't real. Sure, it was gonna trigger her but hell, she'd dealt with the real thing - she could get through this. "Okay, I'll do it."

"Fantastic." They all looked very relieved. Kevin smiled at her. "You wanna name Carol's daughter?"

"Really? You'll let me pick the name?" Carol smiled back. It was a pretty cool offer.

"Sure - just nothing crazy," he laughed. "And it can't be the name of a character we already have."

"Sophia," Carol blurted out. "Is that okay? Can her name be Sophia?" The name was special to her because she had always planned to name her child Sophia if her and Ned ever conceived. She loved the name - deeply. But she knew she would never use it now, because it would only be a reminder of her life with Ned. This was a very cool way for her to be able to still use the name though.

"Sophia is perfect, great choice." Several others in the room agreed and it made Carol feel really good.

"Okay, let's get those measurements and you can be on your way." Carol stood up and the woman quickly measured her all over. Once she was done the showrunner came around and extended a hand. "We'll be in touch," he said, shaking her hand. "Can you send in Daryl next please?"

"Sure," Carol said. She walked out of the room holding her contract, feeling both anxious and excited. She opened the door to the lounge. "Daryl, they asked for you," she said. "I'll see everyone else on Saturday," Carol added politely before ducking back out into the hallway. Lori had given out her address earlier and they all decided on 7pm. The same intern was waiting for Daryl but she was at the other end of the hall. "I'll wait outside by the bike," she whispered to him quickly. "Bye Daryl," she added louder with a wave.

Carol knew after the teasing from Rick that Daryl wouldn't be comfortable with the others who were at the bar knowing they had stayed the night together - even if it was completely innocent. So she went outside into the warm spring air to wait.

Daryl was trying not to glaze over as Mike, the showrunner, explained all the technical and legal details. He would read through the contract on his own later anyway - probably not understand half of it - and end up pissed because he'd have to get a lawyer just like they suggested. All this damn red tape and business stuff was not his thing at all. Hell, the whole deal wasn't his thing. But if Daryl was being honest with himself… the last few days had been interesting and enjoyable even.

Blah, blah, blah - was pretty much all he heard through most of the meeting. There was one thing he'd been waiting to ask the whole time and now the chance had finally arrived. "Do you have any questions for us?" Mike said.

"Yeah, can I talk to my brother?" Daryl asked. "How do I call him? You have a number?"

"Oh, um, you can't," Mike said, looking apologetic. "While they're going through the program they aren't allowed contact with anyone."

"Fuck," Daryl hissed. As much as Merle was a huge pain in the ass he still missed him and worried about him.

"I could contact his counselor and get an update if that would help ease your mind," Mike offered.

"Nah, it's fine," Daryl shook his head. "I'll just enjoy the peace and quiet," he muttered, trying not to let on that he was missing Merle after only a few days.

"Okay then, let's get those measurements and you are free to go." Daryl stood up awkwardly while the costume designer came over with her tape measure.

Daryl jumped when she measured his inseam and got way too close to his package. "What the fuck?"

"Oh relax," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "You never had your measurements done before?" Daryl didn't like the way she challenged him, but he bit his tongue, trying his best to remember that the men and women in the room held his future in their hands. He fumed internally while she finished, measuring his biceps last. "Think we're gonna go with sleeveless," she commented with a smirk. "Got a feeling the ladies are gonna love this one."

Daryl blushed. "Can I go now?" he asked.

"Indeed," Mike nodded. "Can you just ask the Grimes family to come in on your way out please?"

Daryl tromped out of the room with his contract in hand. He was absolutely brooding, but he didn't care. He needed a fucking smoke. He yanked open the lounge door. "Rick, he wants you three now," Daryl grumbled. He didn't linger to see any reactions.

"See you Saturday," he heard Lori call out after him in the hallway. Daryl lifted his arm in a wave to acknowledge her, but didn't stop or turn around. The second he was outside he pulled out a pack of smokes and lit one. He had it half gone by the time he made it to where Carol was standing by the bike.

She was looking at him strangely. It was like she wanted to say something, but was hesitating. He finished the smoke and threw it on the ground, stomping it out. He needed something… He needed to feel free, just for a little while. "You got plans?" he grunted at her.

"Uh, right now? Today?" she asked, looking at bit confused and concerned.

"Yeah, now. You need to get home right away?" Daryl asked.

"No," she shook her head.

"Good, get on," he said, handing her the helmet. He took her contract and put it with his in one of the saddlebags for safe keeping.

Carol did up the helmet. "Where are we going?" she asked as he fired up the bike. She wrapped her arms around him and Daryl realized why he'd asked her to join him. Usually when he felt this way he just wanted to be alone yet he'd asked her to come along. Truth was - she made him feel, well… like he meant something - to her. She made him feel necessary in a way no one in his life ever had.

Daryl shrugged and looked at her over his shoulder. "I have no idea."


	8. Chapter 8

"What is this place?" Carol asked. They were in what appeared to be a little parking area on the edge of the woods.

She pulled the helmet off before he spoke. "Parking area, for hunters and hikers. There are trails off to the west and the woods to the east are used by hunters when deer season is open."

"Oh. So, um, what are we doing here?" Carol asked, trying to understand his frame of mind. When he came out of the building it was clear he was upset but she had no idea why.

"I just needed to clear my mind for a bit," he grunted. "Usually I grab my crossbow and hunt, but just being out there…" he shrugged and let his voice trail off.

Carol couldn't resist. "And you wanted me to come along?"

Daryl eyes snapped to her. "Yeah, well don't read too much into it. Didn't want to waste time taking you home first," he grumbled. "Come on," he added, heading for the edge of the woods.

Once his back was turned she smiled. Whether he liked it or not they were going to be friends. Though she was pretty sure he liked it far more than he was willing to admit. "Don't we need like those orange vests or something?" she asked, jogging to catch up.

"Nah, we'll go to the trails, stay out of the hunting area. Probably not anyone out there anyway," he added. "No trucks in the parking lot. Deer ain't open." She relaxed and walked beside him. The second they were completely under the cover of the trees he changed in a remarkable way. His eyes were scanning everywhere, on alert, searching, but at the same time there was a confident air around him that she hadn't seen before. And he looked - well… calm, happy even. Carol forgot about her surroundings because she was so captivated by him.

"Rabbit," he said, pointing at the ground.

Carol looked all over but she couldn't find a bunny anywhere. "I don't see it," she whispered.

"C'mere," he beckoned her. Daryl bent down and pointed at some tracks on the ground. "These right here are rabbit." He scanned the ground and shifted over a couple steps. "And here," he pointed. "Raccoon." Carol looked down at the little prints she would never have noticed. "Could follow them if I was hunting," he said. "But I thought maybe we'd get lucky and see some deer today."

Carol had lived in Georgia all her life, but she had only seen living deer a few times. Lot's of dead carcasses on the road, or the ones that Ned had brought home in the back of his truck. Thinking of her ex reminded her of what had happened at the studio earlier. "So, um, did they make any changes to your story? Your character?" She asked as they continued on.

"What do ya mean?" Daryl replied.

"They're gonna cast an actor to play Ned… and my character is going to have a daughter named Sophia," Carol explained.

"Ned? Who's Ned? Your ex?" Daryl looked confused. "I thought his name was Ted."

"Oh it is," she replied with a sigh. "It's a stupid story. Ted is his real name but he hated people calling him Teddy so when he was in highschool he made everyone call him Ned. Some people still call him Ted - like his family, but most say Ned so they don't piss him off." Carol giggled. "It gets better… they're changing it to Ed for the show."

"What the fuck?" Daryl muttered. "Ned, Ted, Ed… Jesus. At least they rhyme."

"Carol, Daryl…" she added, giving him an amused look.

He snorted. "Stop." Carol laughed again and he looked at her. She caught what she was sure was a split second of a smile before he looked away again. She was gonna cut through that moody, brooding persona even if it was bit by bit. One day soon he would smile - a real genuine smile and it would be beautiful.

"Have you heard anything about your brother?" she asked, making conversation even though she was pretty sure Daryl would have been fine wandering through the woods in silence.

"Nope. They said I can't talk to him until the program is done," he replied, sounding bitter. Carol wondered if that was part of his current mood and why he seemed so annoyed when they left.

"I bet you miss him," Carol added softly.

"Nope," Daryl snapped. "I'm enjoying the peace and quiet." The way he reacted told her his words were bullshit, but she didn't push. If it helped him get through it to let on that he didn't miss Merle then she didn't want to interfere. "Do you always talk this much?"

He could be as snarky and jerky as he wanted but Carol wasn't going to let him get to her. She knew if he didn't want her there she wouldn't be there. He was such a strange guy, but his personality fascinated her. "Not always. Would you like me to shut up now?" she asked sweetly.

He grunted something that she didn't understand. She wasn't sure if it was a yes or a no so she decided to compromise by staying silent for a few minutes. Suddenly Daryl froze. He held up his hand to stop her and a finger to his lips to keep her quiet. He pointed off into the distance and she tried to follow his gaze, but couldn't see anything. She looked at him and shrugged. Daryl came up behind her, and directed her gaze by pointing over her shoulder. "Look between those two huge trees," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh," she gasped when she finally saw what he was trying to show her. There was a tiny clearing and standing there was a doe with a little bitty fawn standing under her. It was an absolutely beautiful scene to witness and Carol was suddenly so overcome with emotion that tears stung her eyes. No doubt Daryl would be hunting the two of them in the fall, but right now all he would do was look at them, just like her. Daryl was still standing right behind her, so close their bodies brushed every so often. With a man that close to her she used to feel fear, but with Daryl it was completely different - she wasn't in any danger - but she felt safe. He was a protector, she knew that about him already. And fiercely loyal. Two qualities she had the utmost respect for. "Thank you," she whispered. She was really glad he'd invited her along.

They continued for a while longer. He showed her some coyote tracks and some scratches on a tree that he figured might have been either a fox or a raccoon. Carol was fascinated by his expertise. Perhaps he was showing off, but he decided to follow another set of rabbit tracks and within 15 minutes he was showing her a large brown bunny.

"Are you feeling better?" Carol asked when they emerged from the woods, back to where the bike was.

"I'm trying," Daryl nodded. "You hungry?"

Carol had completely forgotten that they had yet to eat and suddenly she was hungry. "Yep, let's go eat."

They found a little country restaurant a few miles down the road. Carol had never been there before but it looked decent. Halfway through their meal Daryl was completely distracted by something. Carol tossed a french fry at him and he looked up with a scowl. "Oh stop," she said, tossing another fry at him. He picked it up and ate it. "What's wrong?"

"People are looking at us," he hissed. "I don't like it."

Carol hadn't even noticed, but when she glanced around she saw he was right. "You're gonna have to get used to it - quickly," she warned him. "I don't like it either," she admitted. It was extremely unnerving and it made her feel self conscious. "Makes me feel like there's something wrong with me, ya know?"

"Ain't nothing wrong with you," he grunted. It was a compliment and it was very sweet. "They're probably wondering what you're doing with a guy like me." Carol knew that wasn't the case at all. Word of the show and the people who were cast was spreading like wildfire. This was just an early taste of fame. She watched Daryl lick his fingers with amusement. His table manners were pretty much non-existent, but it didn't bother her. If she allowed her mind to go there… it was actually kinda sexy. One day she would tease him about it. "Come on, let's get out of here," he said, throwing cash on the table. Carol realized he was paying for hers too but she didn't comment on it, knowing he was in a hurry to leave. She would thank him later and offer to pay him back.

They started outside and all of a sudden Carol froze. Daryl didn't notice and kept walking. Her heart started to race and she was on the verge of complete panic. Walking towards her was her ex husband. He spotted her right away and his face broke out in a sneer. She watched as he realized that she was with Daryl and immediately saw a jealous rage appear in his eyes.

Ned threw the smoke in his hand to the ground and crushed it out. Carol still hadn't moved. She wanted to run towards Daryl, jump on the bike and get the hell out of there. It was the first time she'd seen Ned since their divorce was finalized. She dug deep, sucked in a breath and decided she was going to walk right by him. With shaky legs she took a few steps, disgusted with herself for still being afraid of him. She avoided eye contact and was almost past when she felt a grip, like a vice on her arm. "Where you goin' so fast?" he hissed angrily.

Carol tugged her arm but he held tight. "Let go of me," she seethed.

"You with him? That white trash pretty boy from your new show?" Ned growled. He was really hurting her arm but she refused to show it.

She tugged a little harder. "You're calling him white trash?" she scoffed. Carol saw the anger flash in his eyes and she knew what was coming. She couldn't get away - he was too strong so she flinched and waited for the pain. A backhand to the face is what was coming.

"You stupid bitch," he slurred. Shit, he's drunk, Carol realized. He still hadn't hit her yet, but it was building, she could feel it. "You fucking him? You're a damn whore." Carol ducked as his hand came up. She closed her eyes and waited. She had believed she would never be in this position again but here she was cowering to him. He should have been smarter. There were witnesses. But he was clearly too drunk and enraged to care.

All of a sudden she felt him release her arm and heard Daryl's voice. "Get your fucking hands off her." Carol stumbled backwards and watched in horror as Daryl shoved Ned, hard. He went stumbling backwards but managed to stay on his feet.

"You piece of shit," Ned yelled back. "Ink's barely dry on the divorce papers and you're fucking my wife." He moved towards Daryl but Daryl circled away from him.

"If you ever lay a hand on her again I'll kill you," Daryl threatened. Ned lunged and Daryl punched him in the stomach.

He was about to hit him again. Carol realized she needed to stop it. "Daryl, please…" She grabbed him around the waist. "Don't. He's not worth it. Please…" She begged. "If you go to jail you're gonna lose the job… let it go." Daryl was strong and he resisted her at first, but eventually started to back off when she didn't let go. Ned was still doubled over from the force of Daryl's blow.

A few people had come outside by that point. Carol released him and Daryl took a couple steps closer to Ed. "I ain't fucking around asshole - if you ever touch her again nothing will stop me from strangling you to death," he hissed quietly so only the three of them could hear.

Carol touched his shoulder and finally Daryl turned and walked with her to the bike. "You okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

She was shaky but she gave him a nod. "Thank you," she said genuinely. Daryl glanced over at Ned and back at her, making some sort of grunting noise. Eventually she would figure out what all those noises meant. He picked up the helmet and set it on her head. Carol studied his face as he did it up, still being protective of her. "Seriously Daryl, thank you," she said again, needing him to know he was appreciated.

"Ain't nothin," he shrugged. "I always take care of my friends." With that he climbed on the bike and waited for her to join him. Friends, Carol repeated in her head. Well at least he wasn't trying to fight it anymore, she thought with a smile. Her arm hurt where Ned had grabbed her, but once she wrapped her arms around Daryl and they took off she forgot all about it and enjoyed the wind in her face as they flew down the road.


	9. Chapter 9

It was the first moment all night that she'd had to herself and Carol was thankful for the breather. She was having a wonderful time, but she wasn't used to so much stimuli and it was a bit overwhelming for her - especially since she was the only one over 21 that was completely sober.

The week had went by much quicker than she expected. When Daryl and her parted ways earlier in the week she offered to pick him up. As far as he knew she'd only offered because she didn't plan on drinking so she would DD for him. But there were also a couple of other reasons she wanted to pick him up. Firstly, she didn't want to arrive alone and have to deal with that initial awkwardness. And secondly, she wanted to make sure that Daryl would actually show up. Carol worried if he was left on his own to arrive he would just blow it off and that would have made her very sad.

The remainder of the week had been all about her contract. She took a day to read it over and make a list of questions, then found a lawyer and made an appointment. She had to drop of the contract ahead so he could read it over and they had met on the Friday to review it all. He helped her understand everything and they decided together that as long as she was okay with the amount of money being offered there really didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary she needed to contest. When the showrunner and legal team called her in Carol was fully prepared to sign.

She was a little bit nervous about the clause related to promoting the show, but the lawyer said it was standard and it was highly unlikely they would be willing to change it. Being on the show meant she would have to help promote it - whatever interviews, photoshoots or TV appearances that might entail.

Now, after a busy week she was standing in Lori's living room, leaning against the wall with a glass of punch - the one without alcohol, watching a group of people interact who had literally been thrown together from all walks of life. These were people who very likely would have never been friends had this opportunity not come about. It was loud, but all she heard was happiness. Laughter, chatting, teasing - it was all in fun. Carol couldn't remember a time she'd been surrounded by so much joy. Sure, half of them were wasted, and most of the rest were well on their way, but they were all smiling and it made her so happy to see. She was overcome with the strangest sense of family - something she hadn't felt since she was a child.

"Come on Dixon, we're doing this again," she heard Shane call out loudly.

"Dude, he's beat you 6 times - give it up," Glenn shouted.

"Yeah, well he's had 3 beer and 2 shots since then - I got this," Shane laughed. Carol knew the cop had drank every bit as much since their last arm wrestling match, so she wasn't sure how it was going to make a difference.

"Alcohol only makes me stronger," Daryl announced, joining Shane at the table. Carol smiled. It was pretty cute watching Daryl win every single time. Shane clearly had a huge ego and could not deal with the fact that he couldn't beat Daryl. Besides, she wasn't going to complain about watching two handsome men display their rather sexy biceps yet again.

Shane really gave it a good try and held Daryl off for a lot longer than usual, which made Carol wonder if perhaps Daryl was playing with him a bit. But in the end it was Shane's hand slammed against the table yet again and the room lit up with chants of 'Dar-yl, Dar-yl, Dar-yl.' She joined in and saw him look her way. Carol knew he was checking to see if he'd impressed her and she gave him a little smile. It was her way of patting his head and saying 'you did good' from across the room.

About an hour later things were starting to get out of hand and being the only sober person left Carol was scrambling. She had just come back inside after dealing with Glenn, who had puked and then passed out on the front porch. The only thing she could do was drag him out of the way so he didn't get stepped on and cover him with a blanket. He was a really cute kid and Carol liked him already. Half an hour earlier he'd been standing on the couch belting out a horrible version of My Heart Will go on while acting out the 'King of the world' scene from Titanic.

She had already called a cab for Andrea and Amy which Dale jumped in as well. Carol was surprised that he'd joined in the festivities, though alcohol only made him talk more. Dale was still a sweet guy but she could already tell that Shane and him were not going to get along.

When she got back inside T-Dog was doing a strip tease version of Macarena while Jacqui and Lori cheered him on. When he got down to his boxers Carol decided she'd better shut it down. She quickly changed the song. "Heyyyy, what…" T-Dog yelled at her.

"Put your pants back on now or I'll snap photos for blackmail purposes," Carol threatened, throwing his jeans at him.

"Oh Baby, you could make a lot of money from those photos," T-Dog said, followed by a giggle. Carol almost laughed out loud at the girly giggle coming from the big Teddy bear. Thankfully he was making an attempt at getting his pants back on, which ended up with him falling flat on his face in a heap. She paused to see if he was okay, but when she heard the giggling again she moved on.

"There's another cab on the way," she announced to Rick. He was the only one left that wasn't completely wasted. He'd been drinking, but he wasn't obliterated. "But, uh, I think Glenn might be spending the night on your porch."

Rick slung an arm around her shoulder. "Thanks for being the party mom," he said. "But I feel bad that you didn't get to have a drink or two with the rest of us."

"Oh hell no, after the bar the other night… I'm done with booze for a long time," Carol moaned. Just thinking about that night and the next morning made her nauseous.

"I like him," Rick said, out of the blue, pointing over at Daryl. "I don't know why the fuck I do, but… I do. Ya know?" Carol nodded. She did know. She knew exactly what Rick meant. There was just something about Daryl that she was drawn to and it wasn't something she could explain or figure out. "I think he's ready to go home though," Rick added with a laugh. Daryl looked like he was about to fall asleep. "Go ahead - I can get the rest in the cab." Rick leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Seriously, thank you."

Carol squeezed his hand. "Any time." She walked over to where Daryl was sitting on the couch and plopped down beside him. It startled him and he jumped which made her laugh. "Come on Drunky Pants, let's get you home to bed."

"You're coming to bed with me?" he asked with a stupid grin.

"You wish," Carol flirted back. She knew she really shouldn't have done it, but it felt good.

"I do wish," he sighed. "I really do." Carol froze momentarily. His drunken admission was shocking. Was it just that? A flirty, horny, drunken moment? Or was it a slip of truth that he was too drunk to keep to himself? Either way - she was rendered speechless for a moment.

Once she regained her composure Carol jumped up and grabbed his arm. "Come on. We're leaving."

"Okay," Daryl replied, very cooperatively. They said their goodbyes and she helped him to her car. When she leaned over to buckle him in she knew Daryl was looking down the front of her shirt. "You have nice tits," he commented. Carol finished quickly and gave him a look. "What? You do. I've seen them, remember?"

"Yes, I remember that very well," she sighed.

"You have a nice ass too," he called out as she moved around to the driver's side. She allowed herself a smile before she got in and acted annoyed. Apparently alcohol was like a truth serum for Daryl. It was rather amusing.

"You're drunk and you should probably stop talking," Carol suggested.

"Oh no, I'm not drunk," Daryl slurred in response. "I'm not," he insisted when she snorted. "I'm an asshole when I'm drunk. A mean, snarly asshole." He shot her a goofy smile. "See, so I can't be drunk."

"Um, actually I think you have that backwards," Carol replied. "You're an asshole when you're sober."

"Heyyyyyy," he whined. "That ain't very nice." Daryl rolled down the window. "Why is it so hot I here," he moaned, sticking his hand out the window to feel the cool air.

They talked and laughed the entire drive to his house and Carol was actually feeling sad that the night was over when she pulled into his driveway. "Come on, I'll help you to the door," she offered. "I'm betting you won't be able to get the key in the hole."

"That's never a problem for me," Daryl said suggestively, giving her a sly look. Oh God, I hope he remembers all of this tomorrow she thought, knowing how embarrassed he would be. It wouldn't be as much fun to tease him later if he didn't remember any of it. She was pretty confident he wasn't the blackout type of guy.

Of course she was right and Carol had to help him get the door unlocked. "You think you can make it from here?" she asked.

"Aye, aye Captain," he said, saluting her.

Carol rolled her eyes and said goodnight. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked back to her car. "Stop checking out my ass," she called out with a laugh. She got in the car and started it. He closed the door when she backed out of the drive. Two blocks away she remembered something. "Shit," she cursed, slapping the steering wheel. She had to go back to Daryl's. Her pants didn't have pockets and she had accidentally taken her wallet into the party. Instead of taking it back to the car she'd given it to Daryl to put in his pocket.

When she got back to the house she knocked lightly and then tried the handle. It was open so she let herself in. "Daryl?" she called out.

"Kitchen," was his reply. She wandered towards the sound of his voice into the kitchen and gasped when she saw him. "Hey. I was starving. Want some Mac and Cheese?" he asked.

"Daryl," she squeezed her eyes shut. "Where are your clothes?" He was standing at the stove, stirring a pot, without a thing on. Buckassed naked.

"I told you I was too hot," he replied easily. Clearly he was way too drunk to care that she could see him nude if she opened her eyes. Even though she knew she shouldn't Carol snuck a peek. She was struck by two things. One - he had one of the nicests asses she'd ever seen and she really wanted to touch it. Two - his back was covered in scars.

The opposing emotions from the two sights were frightening. That part of her that was extremely turned on was instantly made to feel guilty by the tremendous empathy she felt looking at those scars. He'd been abused - just like her. It both explained and complicated so many things. Their instant connection that she couldn't figure out - it had to be related to their shared past. But Carol was almost positive it wasn't something Daryl shared with anyone or wanted her to know about or he would have said something when she talked about her own past. She was seeing something she wasn't supposed to see, far beyond his nakedness.

Carol decided to keep it light so she wouldn't upset him. This was his secret and it was none of her business until he wanted it to be. "Just tell me where your pants are. I need my wallet."

"You sure you don't want some?" Daryl asked, turning around.

"Oh… uhhh…" She was staring at his package and couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Carol, my eyes are up here," he said, teasing her.

She felt her face burn as she looked up at his huge smirk. "You are gonna be so embarrassed tomorrow," She said, shaking her head. "Where are your damn pants?"

"Living room," he replied, shoving a huge bite of the orange cheesy pasta in his mouth straight from the pot. Carol ducked away and found his jeans on the floor. She dug out her wallet. By the time she was done he was leaning in the entranceway still eating from the pot. "Guess we're even now, huh?"

"Oh no," she shook her head. "We are far from even. Sorry, Pookie," Carol replied with a wicked smile.

"Whatdya mean?" he said between chews.

"I don't remember what happened when I passed out in the shower," she started towards the front door and opened it. "But tomorrow when you wake up… you're gonna remember every second of this. Night night Pumpkin." With a triumphant grin Carol shut the door and headed to her car.

She tried her best to get the image of Daryl's junk and that nice ass out of her mind. Unfortunately it was the image of those scars on his back that replaced them. Carol headed home and hoped what she'd seen wasn't going to destroy the wonderful relationship they had built in such a short time.


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl woke up the next morning sprawled on the couch with a pot on his chest. He had to piss, really badly. "What the fuck?" he grumbled, moving the pot to the coffee table beside him. It wasn't until he stood up that he realized he was completely naked. And it wasn't until he'd taken a few steps that everything came flooding back. The party. The alcohol. Carol dropping him off. The flirting. And the worst of all… Had it really happened? Was he really that stupid? Had he really let her see him naked?

His face was burning as he leaned over the toilet and relieved himself. Halfway through his pee the phone rang. Daryl didn't rush to finish - he had no plans to answer it. He didn't want to talk to anyone - especially not her. Oh God… how am I ever going to face her again? he wondered.

He was going to have to face her of course since they were going to be working together. He could only avoid her so much. But the worst part of it all - he didn't want to avoid her. The thought of not spending time with her was heartbreaking. But he couldn't. He just couldn't. Why not? A voice popped into his head. You've seen her naked too. You're even now.

Daryl finished peeing, flushed the toilet and immediately turned on the shower. He could hear the phone ringing again, but of course he ignored it. By the time he stepped into the tub his dick was already getting stiff because he was having flashbacks of Carol, naked, in the very same shower. He put his body under the hot water and grabbed his dick. If there was ever a time he needed to relieve some stress it was right then. He knew he shouldn't but he pictured Carol's amazing tits and imagined what it would be like to hold them, suck her nipples, and rub his cock between them over and over again.

Daryl stroked his dick and let the feelings of guilt and embarrassment float away. He focussed on how good it felt and even allowed himself to imagine what it would be like to fuck Carol. It had been a long time since he'd had sex but he was no stranger to masturbation. He could make himself come quickly when he needed to, but Daryl decided to have a lingering shower and enjoy jerking off while fantasizing about a woman he really shouldn't be thinking about in that way.

He soaped up his dick and enjoyed the way his hand glided easily up and down his shaft. Carol's pussy would feel wet and slick too, he was sure of it. Hot, tight… As his fantasies got dirtier and more vivid he started to stroke faster and faster. He bent and braced himself against the shower wall with one arm, beating off furiously. "Oh," he grunted as he finally came, pleasure rippling through his entire body.

Daryl quickly finished up his shower, brushing his teeth while he was in there. Merle thought it was gross but Daryl didn't give a fuck. He got out, towelled off and then wrapped the towel around his waist. It was probably the longest shower he'd had in a long time and he'd really hoped it would help him forget about what was stressing him. It worked - until he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and saw… his scars.

"Fuck," Daryl hissed. Why hadn't he even thought of that? He was so concerned with his damn dick that it hadn't even crossed his mind that she had seen the scars on his back. No one had seen them in years, not even Merle. Daryl had kept them hidden and kept his story to himself. That was why he was so angry with Merle for telling the producers. He should have been preparing himself for the truth to come out as part of his character's story on the show, but Daryl had been hoping and praying they wouldn't use that information at all.

Now Carol knew. Would she look at him with pity? Would she be angry with him for not telling her when she shared her abusive past? Daryl was catastrophizing. All he could think of was every single awful possible reaction she could have. In the end it came down to one thing - he was going to lose her friendship. It was over. It was all over now because he was an idiot. His mind didn't even consider the possibility of her empathy and understanding. He could only see the bad.

Daryl looked at his face in the mirror and all of a sudden in a moment of rage he punched the glass. "Fuck," he yelled, both in anger and pain. The mirror shattered and when it did it sliced a deep gash in his arm. Blood. A lot of blood. And a searing pain. He could handle the pain and blood didn't bother him but he hated hospitals. He had to get the bleeding to stop.

Daryl grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his arm tightly on his way to the kitchen. He had to find gauze and bandages but before he made it there was a knock on the door. "Dammit," he growled. He couldn't answer wearing nothing but a towel so he ignored it and went into the kitchen hoping whoever it was would go away.

"Daryl?" A voice called out. "Are you here? Are you okay?"

Oh this day just keeps getting better, he thought. Carol. She was here. And clearly he hadn't bothered to lock the door last night so she was inside the house. "Go away," he snarled.

"Oh thank God, you're alive," she replied, actually sounding relieved. "So you were just ignoring my calls."

"Go away," he called out again, hoping she would just damn well listen.

"Don't be an ass," she replied, sounding closer. "Oh my God… is that blood?" All of a sudden there she was in the doorway. "Jesus, Daryl… what did you do?" And now she was right beside him, touching him - deep concern etched on her face. "Can I see?" She asked.

"Told you to go away," he grumbled. But it was meek this time and he found himself unwrapping the towel to show her.

"Oh it's bad," she said, quickly covering it up again. "Come, sit," she ordered.

"I need clothes," he mumbled, hoping the towel would stay put.

"Didn't seem to need them last night," she teased. Daryl felt his face burn. "I'm sorry," she added quickly. "I won't tease. I want to so bad… but I'll behave - I promise." Carol held the towel on his arm, putting pressure on the cut. "You're gonna have to go get stitches," she said.

"No," Daryl snapped. "No hospitals. I ain't going."

"I'll go with you," Carol offered. "I don't like them either," she added, giving him a look. What was that? Understanding? She didn't like hospitals either… she knew how he felt? Nah, he had to be reading her wrong. All the bad stuff would come out soon. Just as soon as they dealt with his stupid arm. She was gonna be mad. She was gonna leave. He was trying to push her away so he didn't have to deal with the pain and disappointment.

"I ain't going to the hospital," he said again.

She didn't argue. "So what did you do?" She asked.

"Cut it on some glass," he mumbled.

"Where's the glass? I'll clean it up," she offered.

"No," he said quickly. A little too quickly.

"Daryl?" She narrowed her eyes. "What happened? Tell me."

"I punched the mirror," he said really soft and really fast. But it didn't matter, she heard every word.

"What? Oh my God. Why?" She gasped.

"I was mad," he shrugged.

"Please tell me this has nothing to do with last night," Carol said, pressing harder on his arm. He didn't know what to say so he didn't reply. "Daryl, seriously?" She snapped. "This was pretty damn stupid."

He was starting to get angry. "Just go," he growled. "I'll deal with it." He tried to pull his arm away.

"Stop it," she insisted, holding him tight. "You're gonna make it worse," she snapped. "Don't move." They were both silent for a few minutes. "Got any medical tape? I can try making butterfly stitches if we can get the bleeding to slow down enough."

"Cupboard above the sink," Daryl replied. "You really think that will work?" He added shyly.

"I've done it before," she replied. "Ned split my forehead open once. I got so sick of going to the hospital and making up stories that I started to look things up on the internet and patch myself up on my own." Daryl felt sick to his stomach listening to her story. He wished he had beat the shit out of that fucker when he had the chance. "I watched a video and tried it. Surprisingly it worked and I barely have a scar." Daryl couldn't see one at all. She lifted the towel. "Oh good, it seems to be slowing. Hold that," she instructed him. Daryl took over putting pressure on his arm while she got up and found the medical kit.

"I wanna make a deal," she said, as she sat back down and started to root through the kit. "If I do this for you and save you a trip to the hospital I want something in return."

Daryl eyed her, wondering what it could possibly be. He grunted, "What?"

"I just want to talk," she replied. He watched as she lifted the towel off and started to work. The alcohol stung as she cleaned the wound, but he held still. "I don't want what happened last night to ruin our friendship…" She paused and looked at him. "We're friends?" Carol was looking for confirmation. He nodded. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. But I just need to know we aren't going to lose the friendship we developed." Carol started working with the tape. "I've lost a lot in my lifetime… I can't lose you too."

When she looked up and he saw the tears in her eyes he found it hard to breathe. This was the last possible way he would have ever expected her to react. Why wasn't she angry with him? Or looking at him with pity? He was exposed again, sitting there with no shirt on, but the urge to cover himself was slowly fading. "'Kay," he replied. "Deal."

They were both silent while she finished patching him up. "Well here's hoping that will work," Carol said. "I'll have to change it in a couple days." Daryl didn't mind. It meant they had a reason to see each other.

"It was a pretty fucking dumb move," he mumbled softly.

"Why were you so mad?" Carol asked him gently. "Can you at least tell me that?"

Daryl shrugged and sighed. She was going to think he was stupid if he told her. Oh what the hell she probably already thought he was stupid. "I thought you were gonna be mad at me."

"What?" Carol gasped "Why on earth would I be mad at you?"

The way she was so shocked made him feel even more stupid. How could he possibly get things so wrong? He shrugged and mumbled. "'Cause I didn't tell you about stuff…"

"Oh my God, Daryl…." She reached out and touched his hand. "I would never expect you to tell me anything you don't want to. I would be happy to listen and support you if you ever do tell me, but I don't have to know. It doesn't change anything."

"It doesn't?" He asked, risking a quick look at her face. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded so stupid.

Carol continued to hold his hand and for once in his life he didn't feel like pulling away from someone's touch. "I spent a lifetime hiding things from people. My family. The few friends that I had. I pushed everyone away to protect my secret. I get it. Trust me. So that's why I don't need to know. I don't want you to push me away."

Daryl didn't know what to say. But he didn't feel like he had to say anything. She squeezed his hand and then released him.

"Go get dressed," Carol said, standing up to put back the first aid stuff. "I have a feeling you're not gonna be impressed with where we're going, but you can indulge me just this once." She smiled. "I'll owe you one sometime. Hurry though, I don't want to be late."

Daryl found himself getting up and doing exactly what she instructed. He had no idea where they were going and it wasn't like him to just go with the flow like that. It wasn't like him to let someone else tell him what to do and react without the least bit of resistance. But Carol - she could do it. And he... Actually enjoyed it. Anyone else… anyone else and he would have fought it. But not her. Never her.


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl woke early on Monday morning. Too early. But he couldn't get back to sleep so he stayed in bed and thought about the crazy weekend he'd had.

Even though he wasn't much of a party guy he had to admit it had been fun. It was strange for him to be drawn to people he didn't know well. Actually, it was strange for him to be drawn to anyone. But there was something about the people he would be working with that made him feel at ease in a way he wasn't accustomed to. Don't get used to it, Daryl told himself, they will disappoint you. They always do.

What about Carol though? Would she disappoint him? So far she hadn't done a single thing to make him think she might abandon him like everyone else in his life always had. She was kind, friendly, comforting and she just understood him in a way no one ever did before. It was unnerving sometimes, to the point he considered running, cutting ties, only seeing her at work and that was all. But he couldn't do it because now that she was in his life - he just couldn't imagine her not being there. Yet, in reality he barely knew her, right? Daryl pondered that for a moment. He felt like he did know her but it had only been days. Not even weeks or months - so, he shouldn't feel that way. Not yet.

The day before she had taken him somewhere he hadn't been in a long, long time. Daryl could barely remember the last time he stepped into a church. It was a lifetime ago when his mom was still alive and she still believed she could make a normal life for her kids with a drunk abusive bastard for a husband and daddy.

He hadn't wanted to go in. He'd almost dug in his heels and refused. He'd almost told Carol he would wait in the car for her. But she knew. She'd seen the resistance on his face the second he realized where she was taking him.

Daryl closed his eyes and pictured her face. He could hear her words in his mind, "You don't have to like it. Some days I don't. But just come in, for me. Please?" She had reached for his hand and squeezed it. "I haven't set foot in a church in months. Today just feels right - for me." Carol paused for a moment. "If you really don't want to, I understand. I know I'm asking a lot…"

Daryl still wasn't sure if she was really that brilliant and knew exactly how to get to him, or if it was all just truthful and happened to work in her favor. But the second she gave him an out he couldn't possibly take it. He also wondered if the reason it felt right to attend that day was truly for her or if it was related to him. But it didn't matter. As far as he would ever know he was doing a favor, for her, and he already knew there wasn't much he wouldn't do for this angel.

Angel. Wow. That's the descriptor that came to mind for him. Was it related to his church visit the day before? Or had it simply come to him because it was truly the right word - whether he even believed in God or Heaven or Angels?

Daryl sat up in bed and wondered what Merle would think. "You fucking went to church? For a woman? You're pussy whipped already boy." That's exactly what Merle would have said. It wasn't true. Yeah, he thought about her sexually, of course he did. She was gorgeous and sexy and he had seen her naked… But it wasn't like that. If it happened, it happened. But he wasn't pursuing her and she wasn't pursuing him. They were friends. If that's all they ever were he would simply be thankful Carol was a part of his life.

Daryl sighed and decided to go shower. It was bugging him that he hadn't hated going in that church like he was expecting he would. It wasn't that he bought into anything the preacher was saying. He actually had barely listened to the sermon. It was the way people reacted - with such joy. And just the spirituality in the room. It was calming to be around people who believed and found comfort in their religion.

He grumbled to himself on the way to the bathroom and vowed he wasn't going again. Even if she begged. She wouldn't though, he knew that. And if he was being completely honest with himself he also knew she wouldn't have to.

By the time he had showered and dressed, careful to not get his bandaged arm wet it was close to 8am. Carol was coming by around 815. They all got calls the day before to come to work the following day so contracts could be discussed and/or signed. Those who were signing without contest had been asked to come early. Those who had questions would be booking appointments for later in the week.

Daryl had gone to a lawyer and decided already he was just signing. Carol had done the same. He wondered about Merle but he would find out soon enough when he eventually came back home.

Carol wanted to check the bandage and change it if necessary, so she offered to bring breakfast and coffee, then they could just ride to the studio together. She arrived promptly at 815.

The second she walked in Daryl still had to fight with the embarrassment he was feeling from Saturday night, even though he knew she had long moved on. They had discussed his scars and she didn't pressure him for information. That's exactly why he knew he would tell her everything one day.

"I got McDonald's," she announced, holding up the paper bag. "I hope that's okay."

"Are you fucking with me? 'Course it's okay," Daryl replied eagerly. The McDonald's was out of the way and he didn't often get there, especially for breakfast. They sat down and he gobbled up the egg McMuffin in a matter of minutes, followed by the hashbrown in two bites.

"I'm not that hungry, have mine," Carol said, offering her hashbrown with a smile.

"You sure?" He asked, wondering if she was just being nice or really wasn't hungry.

"Yeah, go ahead," she pushed it towards him. Another two bites and it was gone. Daryl drank his coffee while she finished eating. Carol got up and washed her hands at the kitchen sink and then grabbed the first aid kit. "Okay, let's look at that arm." Daryl winced as she removed the bandage. It hurt, which probably wasn't a good sign. "Hmm," Carol said, when the cut was exposed. "It doesn't look infected… but it's weeping a lot… I really think you need to go for stitches." She looked at him sadly. "I know you don't want to… but you can't let it get infected."

"We won't," Daryl replied. "You can keep checking it, right?"

"I can," she replied. "But I'm not a doctor... " Carol sighed and eyed him. "I'll keep checking it, but you gotta promise if there's any sign of infection you'll go right to the hospital."

"Fine," he agreed quickly. She finished up quickly and they headed to the studio. When they got into the lounge only Rick, Lori and Carl were there. Carol sat down beside Lori and started chatting, while Carl was playing a hand held video game of some sort. Daryl took the empty seat beside Rick.

"So, you two ride together again?" He asked, smirking.

Daryl glared but didn't answer. "Hope this ain't gonna take long," he grumbled instead.

"Might be a while," Rick replied. "They said something about doing a costume fitting and taking some promotional shots."

"Huh," Daryl snorted. "I fucking hate being in pictures."

"Might want to get used to it Sunshine," Carol piped up. "Remember those girls at the restaurant? That's just the beginning. You're gonna be asked for pictures all the time. You're just too pretty," she teased. "You too officer," Carol added looking at Lori with a laugh. They were enjoying this way too much, Daryl decided. Lori and Carol were both beautiful - they would get their fair share of attention too. He caught Carol's eye and the way her eyes were sparkling made him want to smile. She loved to tease him and he would never admit it - but he enjoyed it.

Sure enough Rick was right. After he signed the contract he was informed he was to head to make up. "Make up? The fuck?" Daryl grunted. "I don't wear make up."

"It's not like lipstick and eyeshadow," Mike explained, looking amused. "It's costume makeup to make you look dirty and sweaty."

"Well that's fucking stupid," Daryl muttered. "What's wrong with just using dirt?"

"Makeup's a little more sanitary," Mike said with a shrug. "Most actors aren't up for rolling around in the mud before they film a scene." He looked amused which just annoyed Daryl even more so he trudged out and followed the intern to the makeup room.

The makeup lady was just getting started on Daryl when Carol sat down in the seat beside him. "Hey, fuck, that… tickles," Daryl said, the second the brush touched his skin. Carol laughed and he glared at her.

"Would you just relax," she said, rolling her eyes at him.

The lady working on his makeup looked at a paper. "Oh, Mr. Dixon… It says here you'll be wearing a sleeveless shirt. I'm gonna need you to take off your jacket and shirt so I can do your arms as well." He caught Carol's eye, feeling panicked. He slowly took off the jacket but there was no way in hell he was taking off his shirt in front of strangers. "Oh… you have an injury… hmm…" She was looking at the bandage. "How bad is it? Can we cover it with makeup for the shoot?"

"No," Carol said quickly, before Daryl even had a chance to reply. "It's bad. Probably should have stitches."

"Once you're all done here - before you go to wardrobe, I'll have one of the medics come in and check you over." She thought for a moment. "We might have to end up using prosthetics to cover the bandaging… or maybe the photographer can work around it…"

"They can stitch it? Right here?" Carol asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "There are always accidents on set. They can fix up most things without a trip to the hospital." Daryl saw Carol smile and he felt the same relief. Now he definitely wouldn't have to go to emerge after all. "Anyway, let's keep working. I need the shirt off."

Daryl started to panic again. He looked to Carol for guidance and he could see the wheels turning in her mind. "What if he puts on his costume first?" She asked. The makeup artist looked stunned and confused. Clearly she had no clue what was going on.

"We… uh… usually... Do this… first…" she said, looking from one to the other and then glancing at the other makeup artist.

Daryl was still trying to figure out what to say or do when Carol stood up. "Well then, you need sleeveless… you'll get sleeveless." Daryl watched in silence as she grabbed a pair of scissors off the counter in front of her, walked over to him and started snipping at his shirt. "I'll warn you though," she said to the other ladies, "His arms are pretty spectacular."

Daryl blushed while the women giggled. "Y'all are being very unprofessional," he grumbled. His annoyance didn't stop him from giving Carol a grateful look. The makeup artist went back to work. "Are you almost finished?" Daryl asked, no more than 3 minutes later. She shook her head apologetically. "Almost done?" He asked again after a couple more minutes.

"It's probably going to be at least another 20 minutes Mr. Dixon." Daryl sighed loudly. "And then Jenny will be in to fix your hair."

"What? My hair? What the fuck?" Daryl replied, feeling the annoyance return with a vengeance. "My hair is fine." He could see his own scowling reflection in the mirror. His hair looked okay, he decided.

He crossed his arms and continued to pout when he heard a sound. It was Carol - laughing again. He snapped his eyes to her face and saw her smiling at him. "Fuck off," he muttered, fighting off the urge to smile back.

"You're being a big ol' baby," Carol teased.

"I ain't," he shot back, but as soon as the words were out of his mouth he knew she was right. "Whatever," he replied moodily. She was about the only one who could get away with teasing him like that. As he sat quietly brooding, but letting the artist do her job Daryl decided he definitely did like it when Carol teased him. It reminded him that they have a special relationship that's already close enough to allow for jesting.

Carol was finished before him, which was annoying. Hopefully he would get the other makeup chick next time - clearly she was faster. "Okay, all done," she finally announced cheerfully. Daryl looked in the mirror. He had to admit she had done a pretty damn good job of making him look grimy and a bit sweaty. He glanced over at Carol. She didn't look a lot different.

"How come she ain't all covered in dirt too?" He asked.

The woman smiled at him. "Your character is a bit more… uhhh… hands on than hers." Daryl didn't really know what that meant. "I've heard your weapon is a crossbow. Carol probably won't even carry a weapon."

"Better be a fucking crossbow," he muttered. He made sure they knew he preferred hunting with a crossbow, even though he was just as accurate with a rifle.

"We're gonna head out and send Jenny and Dana in to work on your hair." With that the two ladies were gone and he was alone with Carol.

"Hey," she said gently. "All kidding aside - are you okay?"

"Yeah… it's just this ain't me," he waved his hand around.

"You're gonna have to get used to it," she said, giving him a look. "I'm sure it will just become routine before too long," Carol added encouragingly.

There was a moment of quiet before he spoke. "Thanks for the shirt thing," he said softly. Carol reached out and took his hand, giving him a squeeze to say 'you're welcome' and let him know she truly understood.

Daryl hadn't even noticed that the hair stylists had come in the room. He quickly pulled his hand away when he saw them. But he didn't miss the look they shared or the smirk on their faces. They clearly thought there was more going on than there really was. 'Let's just get this over with," he grumbled, heading right back into pissed off redneck mode.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note - I wanted to thank you all for reading this and for the incredible reviews you have left. It's because of your kind words that I'm really focussing on keeping this one going, even though I'm really struggling with motivation right now. Usually when this happens I start something new, but I already have too many WIPs that I want to finish so I don't want to do that if I can help it (even though I have a reallllllly cute idea that's calling to me! LOL). Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that the reviews I have received mean so much to me - especially right now because they're giving me the motivation I need to keep going. Knowing people are still enjoying this fic and are invested means so much. Thank you - so much!_

"It looks exactly the same as it did before you started," she heard Daryl say, in that snarly annoyed tone that she found amusing, but made many others bristle. Carol's hair was already cut quite short, but the hairdresser had requested they trim it even shorter. It was ultimately up to her, but the recommendation had come down from the showrunner so Carol agreed. One the positive side it was so short she wouldn't have to sit while they did her hair everyday. Carol looked at herself in the mirror. It was strange how cutting off less than half an inch of hair changed her appearance. It really made her eyes stand out. "Well that was a complete waste of time," Daryl grumbled.

Carol looked over at him. She had to admit his hair didn't really look that much different. But they had added product to make it look a bit sweaty and greasy. "Okay grumpy, I'm off to wardrobe," she announced, standing up. "I'll see you once you get that arm looked at." Daryl scowled, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that it wasn't menacing.

As she was being led to wardrobe she passed the medics who were on their way to stitch up Daryl's arm. She smiled, thankful he was getting it looked after and even more thankful he didn't have to go to the hospital. If anyone understood not wanting to go there it was her.

"Ah, Ms. Peletier, come on in." A young woman was waiting for her. "I have your costume all ready." The pretty brunette sifted through a rack and pulled out a hanger. "Not the most flattering outfit, sorry," she gave Carol a sheepish grin. "But when I discussed your clothing with the writers it was clear they really wanted to play up the idea of your feminism and sexuality being oppressed by your husband." Carol already found it interesting that so much thought and planning went into their costumes.

"I understand," Carol said with a friendly smile. She took the hanger and went into a private room to change. The costume consisted of a rather plain, loose fitting t-shirt, khaki crops and some really terrible sandals.

When Carol looked down at her feet her first thought was how she wished she had painted her toenails, but she quickly realized they probably would have just removed it anyway. She glanced in the mirror and was quite amazed at the story she could already see in her reflection. It was very minimalist. Plain and simple. Nothing that would make her stand out. And sadly, it wasn't too far off from what she was used to. Ned had never let her buy nice things. He never let her feel feminine or sexy. She knew it was because he hated spending money on things he considered a waste, but also because he couldn't stand the thought of other men looking at her.

One too many comments on her long beautiful curls meant he forced her to cut them off. She quit dying her hair at that time too, what was the point really? She'd gotten used to her short gray hair but there were always times she longed to see those perfect ringlets one more time.

Carol emerged and the costume designer was waiting. She eyed her up and down and then started to grin. "It's perfect." She gave Carol a sympathetic look. "Hey, if and when your story warrants it I promise I'll give you some seriously kick ass clothes to wear. Maybe even some amazing boots if possible."

"Thank you," Carol said sincerely. She liked this passionate young woman already. She also liked her positivity even though Carol didn't really think a character like hers would last long on a zombie show. If she made it to season two she would be impressed.

Just as she was leaving to head to the room they were shooting in Daryl was showing up to wardrobe. "You look ridiculous," he said, eying her up and down.

"Shut up," she replied, rolling her eyes. "Let me see," Carol grabbed his arm. "Wow, can't even tell there's anything there," she marvelled. His injury had been covered by some rubbery fake skin type thing and makeup. It was a bit bulgy with the dressing under it, but it certainly wouldn't be noticed in the photos. "Gotta go," she said sweetly. "Have fun playing dress up."

She said it purposely to irritate him as payback for his comment on her costume. Carol knew without even turning to check his reaction that it had worked. She strode confidently to meet the photographer… but once the photoshoot actually started the confidence faded instantly. He kept shouting at her as he snapped photos and though she knew he was just doing his job and he really wasn't being cruel… it was getting to her. "Can, um, can I just have a minute?" She asked.

"Sure," he agreed, wandering off to find a drink.

Daryl had walked into the room a few minutes earlier and was standing alone by the wall so she headed straight for him. "I can't do this," she hissed under her breath. "It's awful. I'm awful. I don't know what he wants from me."

"You can do it," Daryl replied with a nod. "If anyone can it's you." Carol sucked in a breath. "If you want, I can go first because there's a good chance I'm gonna kill him." She felt herself smile. She was being stupid. Daryl was going to have just as rough of a time, if not worse. She needed to suck it up and just get through it. "'Sides, if he keeps snapping at you like that I'm gonna punch him in the face."

Carol gave him a look of gratitude for wanting to defend her honor. "No, don't do that. I'm gonna talk to him before I start again - hopefully it will make things easier for everyone." If she could do anything to help the other - Daryl especially, she wanted to try. "Thanks," she added with a smile before heading over to speak with the photographer.

"Excuse me, Sir?" Carol said somewhat timidly. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing up there. I've never done a photoshoot before and I'm certain most of the people you'll work with today are the same." His face seemed to soften. "I'm pretty sure you're not trying to make me feel bad, but I'm honestly ready to give up."

The man smiled at her. "Come with me," he said. "I wanna show you something." He led Carol to the camera and tapped a few buttons. A photo of her he'd just taken appeared on the screen and she gasped. It was gorgeous. "You are doing exactly what you need to do and so am I." He flicked through a few more photos and showed her. "I was told that they want Carol to look scared, uncertain, lacking confidence…" He stopped on another photo, a close up of your face. "Isn't that exactly what you see here?" Carol nodded, stunned into silence. "So when I make you feel uncomfortable up there it's giving me exactly the photos I need," he explained. "I know none of y'all are actors - yet - so this really is the best way to get the kind of photos we're looking for." Carol glanced over at Daryl and he followed her gaze. "I might need security for that one - I was told they want 'angry redneck' stills," he said with a chuckle.

Carol laughed. "You should be able to get those without provoking him. Hair, makeup and wardrobe already have him completely pissed off."

"Are you ready to finish up?" He asked. Carol nodded. "Okay, I'm going to keep doing what we were doing - try to feel exactly what you were feeling earlier. And if you want to express even more emotion - if you're able… please feel free."

Before they started she quickly gave Daryl a confident smile and mouthed "I'm okay." She hoped he wouldn't try to interfere. It only took another 5 to 10 minutes to finish up and thankfully Daryl kept his distance, even though she could definitely see him brooding. As they switched over so Daryl could take his turn she spoke to him. "He's really good, just let him do his job okay? You'll be just fine." Daryl grumbled something and headed over to get started.

Carol watched the whole thing. She could almost feel his irritation from across the room. But she no doubt the pictures the photographer was getting would turn out perfect. She marvelled at how much he relaxed when they put the prop crossbow in his hands though. It was crazy how much the weapon set him at ease. Even his body language changed and there was an air of confidence that hadn't been there before. It made her want to go out in the woods and watch him hunt. She already knew his tracking skills were incredible and Carol was pretty sure the man was also a damn good shot with his crossbow.

Once she was confident Daryl wasn't going to kill the photographer after all she let her mind wander a bit while she appreciated the sleeveless costume. The man had incredible arms and such broad shoulders. He had the athletic build of a swimmer - which she had seen in all it's glory the other night. The ladies were going to fall in love with Daryl instantly. And Carol knew he was going to have an extremely hard time with that. Rick would be dealing with the same thing, likely Shane too - perhaps they could help Daryl figure out how to handle the attention.

"Hey," a voice said, snapping her out of her daydream. "I have a couple of itineraries for you and Daryl to look over while you wait. Once all the solos are done we want a few group shots." A young woman handed her over some papers. "There'll be a meeting later in the week to go over everything - and they should have scripts ready for the first two episodes to hand out. Exciting huh?"

Carol felt a flutter in her stomach. Her contract was signed. She had just done her very first photoshoot and by the end of the week she would have a script in hand. "Exciting," she repeated with a nod, faking a smile. It was exciting, but also completely nerve wracking. There was no turning back now.

"Thank God that's fucking over," Daryl grumbled as he joined her.

"Not quite," she replied, handing over his itinerary. "Reading material while we wait to do group shots."

"Are you fucking serious?" Daryl groaned. The Grimes family was already being photographed and Carol noticed Glenn had arrived too. He looked so young in the ball cap they had him in. Dale entered the room too and stood talking to Glenn. Carol had to hold back a snicker. His costume was kinda silly, but she had to admit it suited his personality.

Her and Daryl took a seat by the wall and she started to look through the papers. Wow, they would be filming in less than 2 weeks.

"They're starting while Merle is still in rehab?" Daryl commented. "How does that work…" He looked confused but also a bit angry about it.

"Maybe they can start and just add in his scenes later," Carol offered. She really had no idea how things worked. And none of them had a clue what the storyline was going to be until they got the scripts.

"Yeah maybe," he muttered. "The fuck's a mixer?" Daryl asked, leaning over and pointing at something that was to occur the following Saturday evening.

"It's a party," Carol replied. "Like, an event for people to get to know each other I think…"

"I ain't going to no work party," he huffed.

"I don't think it's optional," she replied, trying to hide her look of amusement. Damn, he was so moody - like a toddler really.

Daryl grunted something she couldn't make out and then spoke, "Well there better be booze."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well for you last time," she drawled. Daryl glared at her and snatched his itinerary away to keep reading.

Carol had barely got back into looking hers over when he spoke again. "What's a - uh - Comic - Con…" Daryl asked.

Carol flipped to page two and scrolled down to a date in July. ' San Diego Comic Con' it read. She quickly read the details and her heart started to pound. "I remember Ned talking about this thing once…" she whispered. Ned was a massive Star Wars fan. "It's a huge thing for TV shows, comic books, and even movies…" Carol looked at him wide eyed. "Movie stars like Harrison Ford attend…" She swallowed a lump of terror in her throat. "There are literally hundreds of thousands of people that go..." Daryl was starting to look just as nervous as she was. "You think this one might be optional?" She finished weakly.

"Probably not," Daryl muttered. They both looked at each other for a moment and then back to the papers, but Carol couldn't focus any longer - she was already panicking about this Con thing - even though it was well over a month away. Too late, she told herself. You already signed on the dotted line. It was the first time since this whole things started that she truly wished she had never showed up for that audition a couple weeks earlier.


	13. Chapter 13

Daryl offered to pick Carol up on his bike Friday morning, but she declined - something about dress shopping afterwards for the mixer. Stupid mixer, Daryl thought. He liked the way it felt to have Carol on the bike with him, hugging his waist. But he also liked the thought of seeing her in a dress - so maybe it wasn't going to be all bad.

His crabby mood had him flying way over the speed limit, but Daryl didn't notice until he saw the lights of the cop car pulling him over. He moved to the shoulder and turned off the bike while screaming curse words in his head. Not only was he about to get a big ass fine, but he was going to be late for the meeting where they were getting scripts for the first two episodes. Daryl took off his helmet, looked at the ground and waited for the officer to approach.

"Dixon? Seriously?" A familiar voice spoke. He looked up and saw Shane standing there. "Dude, you were going almost double the limit. I could take your license and your bike right here."

"Please don't," Daryl said quietly. It was so strange to see Shane in full uniform, on the job.

"I'm not gonna Asshole, but fuck Daryl… slow down. You're damn lucky it was me," Shane warned.

"Thanks Man," Daryl said with relief. "Hey, how come you ain't on the way to the meeting?"

Shane sighed, "Trying to get in my last few shifts before I take a leave to film." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I picked my scripts up last night. Wait until you read it…" His voice trailed off.

"Good or bad?" Daryl asked.

Shane shrugged. "Your part's just fine, pretty sure you don't appear until episode 3, you'll get the first 3 scripts. Actually, I'd say they nailed your character," he added with a chuckle. "But Episode two I'm already doing my first love scene." Daryl hadn't even thought about that possibility and his face started to burn at the thought. "With Lori," Shane added.

"Lori? The fuck?" Daryl was shocked. What the hell were the writers doing? Or was there something in their past that he didn't know about?

"You'll see when you read it. Gonna be fucking awkward though. I've known that woman half my life. She's married to my best friend… her kid is my Godson…" Shane actually looked nervous, which was a stark contrast to cocky guy he usually was.

"It's just acting," Daryl said. But he knew it wasn't going to help make Shane feel any better. "Sorry Dude."

Shane looked at his watch. "You better get going or you'll be late. Slow down though," he added, waving as he headed back to his cruiser.

Daryl realized that if they were getting the first three scripts they were actually getting the first half of the season. There were only 6 episodes in total.

With the brief delay Daryl was the last to arrive. They all looked at him when he walked in the room. He quickly scanned for Carol and was relieved when he saw she had saved him a seat.

"Okay, looks like we can begin," one of the writers said, standing up. "You're getting the scripts for the first 3 episodes. We usually only do one at a time, but some of you… He looked at Daryl, don't appear until episode 3 and we wanted you all to have real scenes to practice with the acting coaches." Daryl was handed a thick stack of booklets. He took one and passed it on to Carol. "This is the script for episode 1. It mainly features Rick, a brief appearance by Shane and then Morgan and Duane who most of you haven't met yet." A black man and what appeared to be his son waved and smiled. "They're only appearing in episode 1 at this point so many of you won't have the opportunity to work with them. Hopefully the mixer tomorrow will allow everyone to get acquainted."

A second stack of booklets was passed around and then a third until they each had 3 scripts in front of them. They were told they had an hour to read through the scripts and discuss amongst themselves before the writers would return. Daryl glared at the scripts. He hated reading. When he glanced around everyone else seemed excited and had started flipping through them, including Carol. Following suit he opened the third one and started looking for his name. When he finally found it he wasn't impressed. "I ain't really gonna throw squirrels am I?" He muttered. "This is stupid," he grumbled under his breath. He read a bit more and finally clued in that Merle's character could be in serious trouble. Daryl flipped quickly through the script, starting at the beginning this time. "What the hell…" Carol gave him a sideways look - she was probably reading from the start like he should have been.

Daryl threw the script down on the table, getting a glance from pretty much everyone sitting around the table. "Are you okay?" Carol leaned over and whispered.

"Fine," Daryl grumbled, picking up the script for Episode one. Blah, blah, blah, he thought, reading through the episode that was pretty much all about Rick. Well that was a waste of time, Daryl mused, reaching for Episode 2. Halfway through the second script he was hooked, reading faster and faster to see what was going to happen. It was so conflicting because it was hard to separate people and characters when they were all so similar to the character they portrayed - hell, the characters were developed from their personalities. He couldn't help glaring at Rick across the table after reading what happened with Merle. "Fucking Dumbass," he hissed to himself when he got to the part where T-Dog dropped the key for the cuffs.

By the time Daryl got to the end of the Episode 3 script he felt sick to his stomach. His hand… Merle cut off his fucking hand… Daryl let the script fall to the table, as if it was grotesque and he didn't want to touch it. The most insane thing of all… they had really, truly nailed Merle's personality. Cutting off his own hand to escape was actually something Daryl could imagine Merle doing in a moment of desperation. But what did it mean? Was Merle going to die? Was he already dead? And they would find his body in Episode 4?

"I need to know what happens next," Daryl said, nudging Carol.

"Shh," she hushed him. "I'm not done yet."

Daryl watched her face for a moment and realized she was just getting to the part where Carol is abused by her husband Ed. He could tell it was bothering her by the look in her eye and the way her body seemed so tense all of a sudden. He reached under the table and found her hand, looking around to make sure no one was paying attention. Carol looked up and gave him a little smile of gratitude. He squeezed her hand and went to release her but Carol wouldn't let him go. This scene was bothering her more than he realized at first.

Daryl had an idea. "I need a smoke," he announced. The hour was almost up, but there was enough time to step outside for a quick cigarette. He gave Carol a look and hoped she understood.

"I could use some fresh air," she said. "I'll join you." She stood up and they headed out of the room. Most were so caught up in the scripts they didn't even notice.

Daryl could have used a smoke, but he didn't need one. He was more concerned about Carol. He led her down the hall until he found a door to the stairwell. Daryl opened the door and poked his head in to find it empty. Perfect. He nodded and Carol followed him in. "You okay?" He asked immediately.

"I'm trying to be," Carol replied, but he could tell by the way her voice shook that she wasn't.

"Maybe they can take that part out," he suggested.

Carol shook her head. "They already talked to me about it and I agreed, right from the start when they cast this Ed character." Daryl didn't like the look in her eyes, it made him feel ill. She shouldn't have to feel this way about a job. It made him angry at the writers for putting her in this position and at that fucker Ned for scarring her like he had. "I just didn't expect to feel this way," Carol added. She was close to tears but seemed to be holding them off. "It's not me - it's a character. We're just acting, it's not even real. I've been hit before, many times - I've endured that pain… and this is completely different. It's not going to hurt. It's not going to send me to the hospital… So why am I being so stupid about this?"

"Don't," Daryl said, shaking his head. "You feel like you do for a reason. This ain't just no big deal - it's huge. And it's hitting too close to home for ya." He took a breath. "I was mad at Rick for handcuffing Merle to the roof," he added quietly. "I know it's not real, just like you, but we can't help how it feels." Daryl knew he wasn't great with words or advice, but he hoped his admission might make her feel a little better.

"If we're this upset just reading it… what's it going to be like to actually act out the scenes?" Carol whispered, looking at him in a way that was begging him to console her.

"It's gonna be okay," Daryl assured her. "It will." He didn't know what else to say. He didn't even know if he was speaking the truth, but it was what she needed to hear and it made her smile so all he could do was hope to hell he wasn't lying.

"Hey, I know this is a lot to ask… and if you say no I'll understand," Carol started. "I just… I really don't want to be alone today. Will you, um… will you come shopping with me?" She asked. "If I had anything nice to wear I would totally skip the shopping altogether, but I don't so I've gotta go," she continued to ramble.

There wasn't much Daryl hated more than shopping so he shocked himself with his reply. "'Course I'll come." When Carol wrapped her arms around him in a hug of gratitude Daryl was pleased with his decision.


	14. Chapter 14

_Author's Note: Gosh, I keep trying to find a time that I can jump forward a bit and it's just not happening! There's so much stuff I want them to experience that I want to share with you guys. I hope you aren't getting too frustrated with the slow pace. I don't usually write crazy long fics, but I have a feeling this could be one of the longest ones I've ever done. Unless it gets boring and people lose interest. As long as people still enjoy it I'll keep going. Thank you all for reading and thank you to those who have left reviews:) Hope you enjoy this chapter._

Carol wanted Daryl to be honest with her about the dresses and she made him promise he would but as she emerged from the change room in dress number 5 she was beginning to wish he would start lying. The first dress was too plain, the second looked like couch upholstery, the third reminded him of his grandma's curtains, he simply didn't think number four was her color and now… "It's too uhh… froo-froo," he said.

"Froo-froo," Carol repeated. "That's not even a real word," she snapped in frustration.

"Yeah it is," Daryl insisted. "Froo-froo… Like to fluffy and puffy… Like a tutu or something."

"A tutu?" She glared at him and then checked her reflection. The dress was a bit poofy in the skirt, but it certainly didn't look like a damn tutu. "Well, that was the last one," she sighed. "Guess I have to grab some more."

Daryl clearly had no idea how annoyed she was. "Want me to help?" He asked, blinking innocently.

"Oh no, you just have a seat right there," Carol replied sweetly. "I'll get a few more and be right back." Still wearing the last dress she tried on Carol headed back out to browse. She saw a very sexy red dress and had an idea. The sales woman came over and offered to help, giving Carol a strange look. "No thanks," she replied. "I'm doing just fine."

Carol returned to the change rooms with 5 more dresses. Only 2 were actual options but she was going to have a little fun with the other three. Carol quickly changed into the first one - open back, completely sequinned with a slit all the way up one thigh. She almost burst out laughing at her reflection. It looked like a conservative version of something JLo or Kate Hudson might wear on the red carpet. A cheap knock off version of course. Carol took a breath and put on her game face. It was time to practice her acting skills.

She emerged and stopped right in front of Daryl. "Oh, um… It's sparkly," he said. Carol shifted so her leg appeared out of the slit. "Oh… Uh…" Daryl's face turned bright red. "That's um…" While he stammered and struggled to find a word Carol turned around. "Holy fuck…" Was all she heard. She fought off a smile and wandered towards the mirror, leaving her rear view for Daryl.

"You're right, it's too sparkly," she said.

"Yeah, definitely too sparkly," she heard him echo as she headed back into the changeroom. Carol put on the second dress. It was skin tight, long sleeved, but off the shoulder and quite short. A few cut outs on the sides and it would look like something you'd see on the street corner, not at a work event. Carol took another deep breath and exited.

"What the…" Daryl whispered.

"I really like this one," Carol said, trying to sound convincing. She adjusted the skirt a bit and pulled it a little lower off her shoulders. "What do you think?" Daryl was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. He was either speechless or had no idea what to say. Well, at least he didn't think she looked like she was wearing a curtain or couch material. "Yeah, it's not short enough is it? And it really isn't low cut at all…" Carol muttered to the mirror. "Let's try the next one." She didn't even have to check to know that Daryl looked completely dumbfounded.

The last of the three dresses was… risque. She wasn't even sure she would have the guts to leave the fitting room once it was on. Carol wiggled into it and got everything situated. It was so short she couldn't even bend over without showing her underwear. The strapless bra she'd been wearing to try on dresses that required it was very supportive and it gave her considerable cleavage even with her less than endowed boobs. The dress was so low cut though she actually had to tuck the bra a bit so it wouldn't show.

Who would actually buy and wear this dress Carol wondered. She had to admit she looked pretty damn sexy, but it was trashy sexy not classy sexy. It was sexy nonetheless and Daryl was in for a good show. He's already seen everything that's under it, she reminded herself. But Carol knew it was different. It's now or never, she told herself, leaving the room quickly before she changed her mind.

"You can't wear that," Daryl blurted out the second he saw her. He jumped up and looked around. "Jesus, get back in there," he hissed.

"What? Why?" Carol asked, spinning around for him. "Don't you like it?" Daryl tried to guide her back into the fitting room and she stood her ground, which left him standing extremely close. She looked up at him and smiled, "I think this is my favorite." Daryl looked down, past her face. He was absolutely staring at her boobs, not that she could blame him - they were very much on display. She watched his face get red and somehow managed to keep from laughing. "What's wrong with it?" Carol asked, trying to look and sound completely innocent.

"It's… it's… it's… very, uh… revealing," he got out.

Carol looked down, his eyes followed, and she adjusted her boobs. "I guess…" she sighed. "But it looks sexy, don't you think?" She was going to force him to admit how hot she looked.

Daryl flushed even more as she turned again and looked back at him over her shoulder. He was still very close, protective almost, blocking anyone else from seeing her but him. "Yeah," he grunted. "It's… uh… definitely sexy… But you can't wear it," he added quickly, with emphasis on can't.

Finally Carol started to giggle. "I'm totally teasing you," she snorted. Daryl took a second to clue in, but once he did he glared at her. "I'm sorry, but you were being a… butt head."

"You told me to be honest," he shot back.

"I know," Carol sighed. "But froo-froo? Really?"

"What? It was," he insisted. They stared at each other for a minute and then they both started to laugh. "Ya know, maybe you should get that one… it could be funny watching the guys eyes pop out of their heads while they try to avoid staring at your tits."

"Yeah… you weren't too successful with that yourself now were you?" She teased.

"Go change," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. Carol went back in and shut the door. She loved the way Daryl was so moody, yet completely harmless. He went from shy and embarrassed to grumpy in a matter of seconds, but she found it charming and not at all offputting.

Carol quickly tried on the next dress. It was nice and it would work, but she'd saved the best for last. Before she even had it completely done up she knew it was the right one. It fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves in a classy way. It showed a bit of cleavage but not too much. The color, a deep purple with a sheer silver sparkly overlay, was perfect for her. It was simple yet elegant, but still just sexy enough she knew she would catch a certain someone's attention - whether she should be trying to catch his attention in that way or not.

Carol got dressed and brought out all of the dressed except the one she was buying. "Oh, you're done?" Daryl asked, looking confused.

"I am," Carol nodded.

"Do we have to go somewhere else?" He asked, looking a bit terrified.

"Nope, I got what I needed." Daryl's eyes bugged out. "Don't worry, it's not one you've seen. It's gonna be a surprise," Carol explained. She went to the checkout and asked the saleswoman to bag the dress she'd left in the fitting room. Daryl wandered around while she paid and they were off.

She drove him back to the studio lot where his bike was waiting. "Guess I'll see you tomorrow night?" There would be alcohol at the mixer, likely wine and champagne, maybe some other stuff if they were lucky, so there would be a cab service to get them all home safely.

"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "You think anyone is still in there?" Daryl asked, nodding towards the studios.

"Probably," Carol said, looking at the clock. It wasn't quite 4pm. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask about Merle. They're gonna be flimin' stuff he's in and he ain't gonna be home yet." Carol could sense the sadness in his voice.

"You miss him don't you?" She asked softly.

"Nah," Daryl shook his head. Carol gave him a skeptical look. "A little, I guess," he admitted with a shrug.

"Are you lonely? I mean, being home by yourself," Carol inquired. She got lonely sometimes, but when she did she just thought about how she was finally free and it helped a lot.

"Nope," Daryl insisted. "Spent a lot more of my life alone than I have with people." Carol didn't push, but hoped maybe someday he would tell her all about it.

She gave him a warm smile. "You better get going before they close up."

"Yeah," he agreed, climbing out of the car. "See ya."

"Bye," Carol replied with a little wave. She pulled out of the parking lot very much looking forward to the mixer the next night.

 **DARYL - DARYL - DARYL - DARYL - DARYL - DARYL - DARYL**

Daryl tried to forget the images of Carol in that skimpy dress as he headed inside the studio. He was sure the memories would come flooding back as soon as he was alone and allowed his mind to wander. It wasn't a vision he was about to forget anytime soon.

Mike was in his office even though the secretary had gone for the day. Daryl knocked lightly. "Daryl? Hey, come on in. What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Merle," Daryl got right to the point. "How you gonna start filming without him? And the way the third episode ends…"

"Have a seat," Mike offered. Daryl didn't like the tone of his voice but he sat anyway. "Listen, I'm gonna be frank with you… Your brother is a junkie and he's a huge risk for us. We could have hired an actor for his part but Merle really is a captivating guy and more importantly… We wanted you." Daryl was instantly uncomfortable. "With the plans we have for your character plus you're unique looks and bad boy sex appeal… You are very likely to be the biggest star on this show right along with Rick." Daryl felt his stomach churn. "As for Merle… We can film his scenes in a few days once he's back. We might have to film slightly out of order but by the time Episode 1 wraps it will be pretty close to the time Merle will be released."

That made Daryl feel a little more comfortable. "But he cuts off his hand… Is the character going to die?"

Mike spoke in a very serious tone, "That's very much up to Merle himself and whether he can stay clean or not." Mike paused as if he wasn't quite sure if he should continue. "He knows Daryl. The scripts were taken to him and he was told exactly how this is going to work." Daryl felt some relief that at least they weren't keeping Merle in the dark. "We purposely wrote his part this way as a probation period, so to speak. The last we see him in season one is what you've already read. But we have the opportunity to either see Merle again or we can just as easily kill off the character." Daryl felt sick at the idea of Merle being killed off while his character remained. This whole thing was Merle's idea. "So there you have it… Merle stays sober and he sticks around longer. He falls off the wagon…" Mike shrugged and shook his head.

Daryl was quiet for a moment while he contemplated what he'd be told. There was really nothing to argue with and it was a fair deal. "Was he… Was Merle okay with it?" Daryl asked.

"He was," Mike nodded. "Don't look so surprised," he chuckled. "Your brother is a smart man, especially with a clear mind. He knows what a huge opportunity this is… Probably far more than you do."

Daryl knew. He really did. But it didn't mean he was ever going to like all that came with the job. He was fairly certain he would be begging for a way out before too long.

He stood. "Thanks for your time."

"One more thing…" Mike stopped him. "I know she's gorgeous and there's something real special about her… But be careful with Carol ok?" Daryl froze in shock. "There's nothing in your contracts about fraternization… Though perhaps there should have been… anyway, we have big plans for both characters. You two have amazing chemistry on screen, don't risk it by doing anything stupid."

"Ain't nothin going on," Daryl snapped. "We're friends - that's all." As he left the building and headed for his bike Daryl wasn't sure who he'd been trying to convince. Either way, Mike was right. Daryl didn't care as much about hurting himself but he didn't want to risk things getting messy for Carol - She was way too important to him.


	15. Chapter 15

_Author's Note:_

 _Hey Guys, Just wanted to thank you for your patience. I'm on vacation which is why I haven't posted in awhile. But little bits at a time I was able to get this chapter finished. I'm my own worst critic, but I really hope I'm not losing people. I just really really not accustomed to such a slow pace and lengthy fic like this. I know many of you have expressed that you are okay with the pace and still enjoying it and I really appreciate the input._

 _Also, I was lucky enough to place a few times in the Caryl Daily Fanfiction awards. I'm absolutely shocked - truly. I don't know if any of you voted (someone must have, LOL) but if you did I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I want you to know I'm extremely grateful for your support. I don't know that I deserve it, but I most definitely appreciate it._

 _It's been an interesting ride and I'm just truly thankful to those who have been there from the start, the new readers who have came along recently and to those who come and go - all of you are amazing - so THANK YOU! Okay - I'm done blabbing - enjoy!_

Daryl was one of the first to arrive at the mixer. Rick was already there getting drinks at the bar for his family so Daryl joined him. "Jack and coke, make it a double," he said when it was his turn to order. He helped Rick by carrying one of the glasses back to his table.

"You gonna join us?" Lori asked, when he got to the table. They were having dinner first and then there would be a band and servers bringing around finger foods for dessert while people danced and mingled.

"I have to save a spot for Carol," he replied, looking around to see if she had come in yet. When she asked him to save her a spot he almost said no - Mike's words coming to mind, and his personal vow to be sure he didn't ruin things for her. But he really didn't think he would survive the stupid party without her close. It was a comfort thing even though he knew the night was going to be difficult.

"Of course," Lori nodded. "We're saving a spot for Shane too and that will fill up the table." Daryl was positive that he saw something strange in Rick at the mention of Shane's name. Not surprising though, the scripts and upcoming storyline couldn't be easy for any of them, acting or not.

Daryl was taking a drink of his whiskey when Carol finally arrived. What was supposed to be a little sip turned into a chug when he saw her - it was either that or embarrassingly choke while trying to put the drink down.

"Easy there," Rick leaned over and whispered. "Can't say I blame you though… Wow."

Daryl shot him a scowl but only briefly because he didn't want to miss a second of Carol making her way to the table. The dress she was wearing was not one she had tried on. He'd never seen it at all in fact. But if he'd seen it the day before it would have ruined this moment. It fit her perfectly in every way, accentuating curves he didn't even know she had. Daryl couldn't help but think back to when he'd seen her naked - nope, he couldn't picture her hips swelling the way they were tonight in that dress. The color suited her perfectly and made her eyes pop even more blue than usual… Or maybe it was the make up? He suspected she wore makeup but he hadn't really noticed it until tonight.

Daryl suddenly realized that if he didn't get himself in check he was going to be past the point of no return. "You need another drink?" He asked Rick, downing the rest of his whiskey and jumping up.

"Nah, I'm good," Rick replied. Daryl looked at Lori and she shook her head.

By that time Carol had arrived at the table. "I'm going to the bar, you want something?" Daryl snapped at her. He knew every single one of them was giving him the same look of bewilderment that was on Carol's face but he couldn't help acting like an idiot when he got all flustered.

"Whatever the house wine is - white, please," Carol replied. The confused look gave way to something else just as he turned but Daryl had no idea what it meant, he just made a beeline for the bar.

By the time he returned with drinks Shane had arrived too. He was sitting on the other side of Carol between her and Carl. At first Daryl felt guilty bringing back a drink for Carol and not him but when Shane said something that made Carol laugh Daryl decided he didn't feel bad at all. In fact, he was seriously considering pouring his own whiskey over Shane's head. Stop being such an idiot, Daryl told himself. Shane was a nice guy - he thought about when he'd let him off the ticket the other day. But it still annoyed him how damn charming and handsome the man was. He was like a shiny, polished version of Merle come to think of it. Smooth, easy, yet he wasn't a racist asshole or a druggie.

"Here," Daryl grunted at Carol's back, holding out the glass of wine. Shane looked up and Carol turned. Daryl knew he had completely interrupted whatever they were talking about, but he really didn't care.

"Thank you," Carol said, giving him a smile.

"Sorry, I uh… didn't know…" Daryl stammered awkwardly towards Shane.

"No problem, I'll just go grab something," Shane shrugged it off politely and got up.

As Daryl took a seat he saw Rick's eyes following Shane and wondered if there actually was something bad going on between them. Suddenly there was a hand on his knee and Daryl jumped. "You okay?" Carol whispered. "You're acting really weird… more than usual," she added with a little chuckle. Oh that's just great, he gets a chuckle because she's making fun of him and stupid Shane gets a full laugh for something hilarious he must have said.

"Fine," he grumbled, avoiding eye contact. Before she could say anything else the evening got underway and Mike addressed them all from a podium near the front. He explained how the evening would work, encouraged them to mingle and meet the cast, crew and executives they hadn't met before, and ended by telling them to have fun. Fun, Daryl almost snorted out loud - this was not even close to his idea of fun. He glared at Mike from across the room.

"Seriously, Daryl, what's wrong?" Carol asked again as the servers started to bring dinner. "Did I do something?"

That caught his attention - which annoyed him because he knew Carol was smart and he knew she'd said it purposely to get an answer - she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. "Course not," Daryl replied, allowing his voice to soften a bit. "This just ain't my kind of thing."

"Me neither," Carol whispered, finding his hand under the table and squeezing it. Daryl felt goosebumps cover his body at her touch. Anyone else he would have yanked his hand away, but nope, not her - she gave him goosebumps. "You clean up good," she added. When he met her eyes there was a sparkle there and Daryl felt a weird swirling in his chest.

Luckily he was saved by the server who interrupted the moment by setting down food in front of them. Daryl focused on the meal. It wasn't his usual type of food, but as each course arrived he couldn't help but admit that it was all very delicious. Carol tried to talk to him a few more times and he gave her one word answers or grunts. Eventually she gave up and by the main course she was fully involved in conversation with the others, mostly Shane.

Daryl was feeling so conflicted he wanted to punch something. He didn't want to talk to Carol because he was trying to put a little distance between them, just a little - but it seemed he was more working towards building a wall - which he really hadn't intended. And at the same time… even though he didn't want to talk to her… he certainly didn't like the fact that Shane had her full attention.

When the band started Amy came over and asked Shane to dance. High five blondie, Daryl thought. The actress that was playing Carol's fake daughter Sophia asked Carl to dance. The kid blushed fiercely but he let the little girl lead him on the dance floor. Carol kept looking at him through the whole song and Daryl tried to ignore her. When a second song started Daryl noticed Andrea had taken Amy's spot with Shane. He tried not to smile - High five blondie number two.

Rick and Lori danced to the next song and Carl had gone off with a group of kids leaving him and Carol alone at the table. "You want another wine?" Daryl grunted, standing up. No way he was gonna survive sitting there alone with her without making conversation.

"Was actually hoping you might ask me to dance," she muttered, giving him a look. "But yeah, another glass of white please," she added with a sigh.

Daryl made sure to take his time so Rick, Lori and even Shane had returned to the table before he did. About 10 steps from the table he froze and watched Shane hold out his hand, Carol place hers in it and the two of them walk hand in hand to the dance floor. Daryl's grip tightened on the tumbler of whiskey and he really wanted to smash the wine glass. He made his way slowly to the table. Shane was holding her close and Daryl felt his chest get heavy. When they spun and he saw her face, smiling, happy… he slammed the drinks on the table and took off. "Daryl?" he heard Rick calling after him. But Daryl didn't stop. He headed straight out back and lit a smoke. It was half gone before Rick caught up.

"What the fuck is up with you tonight?" Rick gasped.

"Ain't nothing," Daryl snapped. "Just go back in."

"Is it Shane?" Rick asked. "He's not always my favorite person either, but he's my best friend and I promise you - he's a good guy."

"Ain't Shane," Daryl growled, hoping if he sounded angry enough Rick would just go away.

"Carol?" Rick asked, his voice soft.

The sound of her name made his chest tighten even more. "It's nothin', I just wanted a smoke," Daryl hissed. "I'll be in when I'm done."

"Listen," Rick said, starting to back away. "I don't know what's going on with you - but I do know you're hurting her feelings." The words stabbed Daryl right in the chest. "She cares about you - a lot… whether it's as a friend… or something more…" Heat coursed through Daryl's body as Rick spoke. "Don't matter… just don't treat her like shit because of your issues - whatever they are."

Daryl was about 3 seconds from completely snapping when Rick stopped talking and was gone. Silence. He finished the first cigarette and pulled out a second. Before he could light it he wasn't alone once again. Someone had joined him - her. Carol. She reached up and gently took the smoke and lighter from his hands. Daryl let her. As angry and upset as he was… he just let her. Carol tucked them in his pocket… and he let her.

"Talk to me," she said, looking up at him with those big blue eyes. "You have never acted like this before - something is wrong - something happened… talk to me." Carol shivered. It was a chilly night. Daryl didn't usually notice things like that but he found himself taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders. "Thank you," she said gratefully.

"I can't… be around you so much anymore," Daryl said, looking away.

"What? Why?" she gasped. "Oh God… was it Ned? Did he find you? Threaten you?"

"Huh?" Daryl was shocked by her reaction. "I ain't scared of that pussy," he hissed. If he ever saw that scumbag again Daryl was pretty sure he would pulverize his face.

"Then what?" Carol asked. "We were fine… everything was fine…"

"I just can't," Daryl tried again. "Go inside," he added.

"No," she replied defiantly, crossing her arms inside the jacket.

"Go," he said louder, his voice angry, getting in her face in hopes she would listen. "I don't need this," he growled, moving at her a little more.

Carol flinched but held her ground. And his heart broke. "I won't let you pull away," she said softly, tears shimmering in her eyes. Daryl felt like the biggest asshole on the planet. A man, yelling at her, getting in her space… She'd had enough of that for a lifetime.

"I'm sorry," Daryl whispered, knowing his words weren't nearly enough, yet they were for her. Carol nodded and gave him a little smile. He sighed. "It's Mike…"

"Mike…? The showrunner?" Carol looked confused, but calmer than she'd been all night.

"He thinks we're… Too close… Ya know?" Daryl felt his face burn just putting the idea out there. "Said it could jeopardize our characters… The show… If something happened."

"Fuck him," Carol replied. Daryl gaped at her. "I'm serious. Fuck him," she repeated. "There's not a damn thing in our contract that says we can't be friends. Or lovers…" Her words seemed to hang in the air forever and Daryl couldn't speak even if he wanted to. "I have spent too many years with a man who kept me from being happy, from doing things I wanted to do…" She stepped closer and Daryl resisted the urge to step back. "We are friends. It's that simple. He can't take that away from us… Please don't let him," she begged.

"I don't want to do anything to ruin this for you," Daryl muttered.

"This is for me?" Carol asked softly. "You've been giving me the cold shoulder for my benefit?" Daryl shrugged. "Well you can stop okay?" He nodded. "Good," Carol said. "Now please, can we finally have that dance? Before Shane asks again…" Daryl stiffened. Coincidence? Or did she know how to play him? "He's a sweet guy but he's just not my type and I don't want him getting the wrong idea…"

It suddenly felt like his head was full of a thousand little minions celebrating a victory. "But won't he think you and I are…" Daryl couldn't help but ask.

Carol took his hand once again. "Sometime that's what friends have to do for each other," she said, giving him a sly grin.

"Friends… Yeah…" Daryl repeated.

She tugged his hand. "Come on." From that moment, with her hand in his, it was a completely different night. They danced, more than once and he ignored the look of disapproval from Mike. Instead he focussed on the way Carol fit in his arms so perfectly. And how she would hum along softly to the songs she knew. He liked the way she hesitated and lingered when the song was over. Usually, on the rare occasions he danced he wanted to get off the floor and back to his drink as quickly as possible but for some reason it didn't bother him the way she took her time.

"We should mingle a bit," Carol whispered to him as the song came to an end.

"Do we have to?" Daryl whined. He would have just sat at the table and let her go on her own but he worried she would be gone too long and he didn't want that rage he'd felt with Shane to resurface.

Carol gave him a look and he groaned but followed her. She was a master at working the crowd and she made it easy for him. It actually wasn't all that bad given he was a bit buzzed and so was everyone else. Daryl actually found himself laughing and making jokes. The new guy Morgan was really nice. And there were a couple of crew members who rode and they talked bikes.

The band announced they were playing their last song and the dance floor filled. "One last time?" Carol asked. It made him sad to think the night was over when he was having such a good time with her. The song was corny and not his style at all, but as they swayed to What a Wonderful World Daryl found himself thinking about so many things he shouldn't have been thinking of like how soft Carol's skin was and how he liked the feel of her breasts touching his chest. He also started to fixate on what it would be like to kiss her. Those soft, full lips… So close to his own already… Before he got too far gone again Daryl shook off the thoughts - friends, he reminded himself.

When the song ended people started to gather their things and leave. Daryl finished his drink and went outside with Carol to wait in line for the next cab.

"Did you have fun?" She asked, looking up at him with pink cheeks from the wine and a shine in her blue eyes.

"Guess so," he admitted begrudgingly, giving her a little smile to let her know he truly had enjoyed the evening.

As the cab pulled up and it was Carol's turn he noticed Mike was milling around. She noticed too. "I had a great time," she replied, a little louder than necessary. Then without warning she grabbed his face and kissed him quickly. It was just a peck really but it was full on the mouth. With her back to Mike Carol winked at him and turned to leave.

Daryl was momentarily stunned but he quickly regained his composure. "Hey," he said, stopping her for a moment. "You look amazing tonight." Daryl's eyes washed over her one more time, wanting to commit the vision to his memory. "You didn't need my help. You never will… You've got this all on your own." He wasn't just talking about the dress shopping and she knew it. It was everything about the night, the job, Mike… All of it.

Carol took a step forward and placed a lingering kiss on his cheek. "I know," she whispered in his ear. "But sometimes it's just really nice to have someone in my corner." With that she was gone and Daryl was left watching her cab drive away… A lazy, semi intoxicated smile on his handsome face.


	16. Chapter 16

_Author's Note: Thought it was time for a bit of a time skip. Gonna try to pick up the pace just a little from here on out. Emphasis on try:) Hope you enjoy!_

Daryl was nervous. Merle had been gone for 29 days but at some point a car would pull up and drop his brother off. And the next day they would likely go to work together. There were so many things to be nervous about. He couldn't remember a fully sober Merle. As far back as Daryl could remember Merle had been drinking and experimenting with drugs, which turned into a habit. What would he be like?

Then there was the fact that Daryl knew his big brother wasn't going to be impressed with all the people he'd made friends with. Merle was a racist. There was no nice way to put it - it was simply a fact. Morgan and his son were black, Glenn was asian, the Morales family were hispanic… and Daryl liked all of them. Race, skin color… it didn't matter to him at all, but over the years Merle had become something of a white supremacist, barely a step down from KKK mentality when he was drunk or high. Perhaps the fact he was going to be sober would help a lot.

The house was neat and tidy. Not that Merle was a neat freak, but Daryl just felt like he should return home to a clean house. He paced around and tidied up a little more and then grabbed a beer and sat down. As soon as he cracked the lid he clued in. With a sigh Daryl got up, went to the kitchen and poured the beer down the sink. Then he went to the fridge and dumped every other bottle in there, followed by all the whiskey and hard liquor he could find.

After that was done he started searching for pills and drugs through the entire house, including Merle's room. Daryl took the collection of oxy, pot, coke and meth and flushed a lot of money down the toilet. He felt like an idiot for not doing it sooner and hoped he hadn't missed a secret stash anywhere.

It was late afternoon by the time he finally sat down again, this time with a can of pepsi. The last few days had been pretty crazy. They had done a lot of work with acting coaches and Daryl hated every second of it. It only made it worse that he seemed to be the only one not enjoying himself. Carol teased him, a lot, and often made him smile. Without her he would have been in hell. Rick helped a lot too - the cop was really growing on him. He was a natural leader and Daryl felt comfortable under Rick's direction.

Mike hadn't said another word to him about Carol, even after the kiss and all the dancing at the party. Mike had made his point and whether or not Daryl chose to heed his warning was up to him apparently. It made it easier when he was around Carol because everything was just so natural around her and he found he didn't worry about all the bullshit.

The producers had started filming the first episode with Rick, Shane, Duane and Morgan and were almost done. It took a little longer than expected given they were working with amatuer actors and likely had to redo scenes more often than they normally would, but it worked out well because Merle was home before his scenes started filming.

Finally a few minutes later he heard the door open. Merle was home. "Daryl?" He yelled, the second he was inside.

"Hey," Daryl replied, appearing in the hallway. His heart was pounding from nerves but it eased when he saw Merle, he really hadn't changed much, but he looked good and he looked happy.

"Ah, baby brother get over here," Merle said, pulling him into a hug. "It's good to see you Bro," he added clapping him on the shoulder. Daryl was still nervous and didn't really know what to say. "Fuck, dude, I'm fine - You can relax."

"I cleaned." The second the words left his mouth Daryl blushed. What the fuck? That's the best he could think to say? "I, uh… I thought maybe we could go out somewhere for dinner," Daryl stammered. He was acting like a fool but he just couldn't pull himself together. He still wasn't sure what to expect and it was the longest he'd been apart from Merle in many years.

"Ah man, I'm gonna have to take a rain check on dinner," Merle replied, hanging up his jacket on the coat rack. "Can't drink and can't touch any of the good stuff so I'm gonna need pussy, a lot of pussy." Daryl felt his cheeks burn again. He wasn't a prude by any means but sometimes things caught him off guard. "I called Tonya and she's on her way. Be here any minutes. I gotta get laid bro, multiple times… My fucking wrist is getting sore."

"Ain't you gotta work first thing in the morning like the rest of us?" Daryl asked. Once again, it sounded stupid but he'd pretty much resigned to it by that point.

"Nah, ain't gotta be there until noon. Something about some photo shoot or costume fitting… Can't remember exactly." Daryl heard a car pull up as Merle was talking. "Oh fuck yeah, look at her D, just look at those titties bouncing." Merle had pulled open the door and was watching the scantily clad brunette make her way up the drive. Daryl wondered if she was a prostitute.

The second she stepped inside and Merle shoved his tongue down her throat and started groping her ass Daryl was out of there. He grabbed his crossbow and headed out to hunt for a few hours.

When Daryl came back from the woods the red sports car was still there in the drive, but there was also a black Honda… He recognized it as one of Merle's exes. Great, now he's got two women in there, Daryl though with a sigh. He put his crossbow back in the garage and fired up his bike. He had no desire to be in that house listening to Merle's manly grunts and the girl's high pitched cries all night long.

He drove around for an hour, just enjoying the wind in his face, but as night approached Daryl found himself in Carol's driveway. What am I doing here? He asked himself. It didn't stop him from walking up to the front door and pressing the bell. Carol pulled the door open moments later. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" She asked, moving so he could come inside. She was wearing a silk robe, clearly she'd been ready for bed, which made sense because they had an early morning coming up. He looked away quickly because he was pretty sure he could see the outline of her nipples and if he stared too long his dick was definitely not going to behave.

Daryl scowled. "Merle has… women at the house…" he grumbled. "I didn't know where else to go," he shrugged, hoping she would understand.

"Women?" she raised her eyebrows. "Like more than one?" Daryl nodded. "Wow, you Dixon boys…" Carol teased him.

"Ah naw, just him," he replied. "I'm a one woman kind of man," Daryl added, blushing as he walked past her.

"That doesn't surprise me," he heard her say as she closed the door behind her and locked it. "You hungry? I can make you something. Are you staying the night?"

"I ain't hungry, but thanks," Daryl replied. "If you don't mind me crashing here…"

"No, of course not," she said quickly. "Wasn't really expecting anyone," Carol added, gesturing to her robe. Now why did she have to go and draw his attention to that again? "I can go change. I should go change…"

"Nah, it's no big deal," Daryl shrugged. Fuck, why did I say that? Of course she needs to go change, Daryl thought. Please argue with me, please.

"Okay. Well, I was just going to sit down and watch some TV before bed… but if you're tired I can just grab a book and head to my room and read," Carol offered.

"TV is fine," Daryl said, kicking off his boots and following her to the living room.

"Oh, I was having some wine, you want a glass?" she asked, when she saw her own drink and it reminded her.

"Sure," he nodded. Daryl wasn't much of a wine drinker but with all the booze he'd poured down the drain today he really did want a drink. Carol came back and handed him a glass and then took a seat beside him on the couch. When she sat down the tie loosened on the robe and he could see the low cut, silk nightie underneath. He quickly averted his eyes to the television. "Grey's Anatomy?" he snorted, giving her a sideways look.

"Shut up," Carol responded, leaning over to smack him. "It's my guilty pleasure." She took a drink of wine. "It's the season finale… there's a gunman loose in the hospital and McDreamy has been shot… I think Cristina is gonna operate on him, she's such a bad ass… And oh, oh oh, Meredith found out she's pregnant…"

"Uh, you realize I know none of these characters right?" Daryl interrupted.

Carol rolled her eyes, "Just watch, look it's starting."

The third commercial Daryl had a lot of questions and he finally had to start asking. "Okay, so who is the guy with the grey hair? Mc something…"

"That's Mark, McSteamy," Carol replied. "He's Derek's best friend and he's totally in love with Lexie… they're sooooo cute together."

"But wait… she's with that Alex guy? But who is Izzy?" he asked.

"Izzy was the love of his life, but she went kinda crazy and she's gone now," Carol explained.

"Hmm," Daryl was about to ask another question when he saw her smirking at him. "What?"

"You're enjoying it," she said, smiling wider. "Admit it."

"I wouldn't say enjoying," Daryl grumbled. "I just don't like being confused is all." He glared at her and decided he wasn't asking any more questions. That lasted one more commercial and he asked several more until she started smirking again. "Don't start with me," Daryl warned. He gave her a playful nudge with his foot. Carol laughed and when she moved to nudge him back the robe fell open completely. Daryl found himself staring right down the drooped neckline of her nightie, a full view of her gorgeous little tits.

Carol froze. She made no move to cover herself up and he made no move to tear his gaze away. But he did resist reaching for her, even though it was all he wanted to do. Friends, he reminded himself. You're not supposed to stare at her tits, a voice said, but still he kept looking. He could see the round mounds of flesh, the darker areola and her perky little nipples, which were stiff from either the cool air or… something else. Oh how he wanted to touch them, suck those nipples… run his dick between them… Fuck, his dick… Daryl shifted and finally looked away but it was too late, he was already stiff. He raised his eyes to meet hers and he shivered with desire.

"It's back on," she whispered without looking at the TV. "Almost over…" But still she didn't look away and neither did he.

"We should probably watch the end, huh?" Daryl said, still staring into those beautiful pools of blue.

"Yeah probably," Carol agreed. Finally she moved, taking a seat again and cinching the tie of the robe. Daryl tried really hard to focus on the show, but all he could think of was Carol's boobs. Merle was at home fucking two women and he was on his friend's couch, his dick hard as a rock and not a chance of getting laid. Or was there? No, don't even go there Dixon, he told himself. Why not? Another voice asked. Friends with benefits. "Damn I hate cliffhangers," Carol growled, bringing him back to reality. The awkwardness of a few moments ago were long gone for her, but the feel of his cock straining against his jeans was a constant reminder of what just happened for Daryl.

"Oh, uh, yeah, they suck," he agreed, but in all honestly he had no idea how the episode ended.

Carol got up. "Well, we have to be up bright and early. I'll go get you some blankets and I'm gonna call it a night." She paused and looked at him with a little smile. "I'm glad you came here tonight," she said softly. "I mean, I'm glad I'm the person you come to when there's something… Oh nevermind," Carol shook her head. "You know what I mean. I'm just happy you're here."

Without waiting for him to reply she took off to find blankets. Daryl looked down at the bulge in his pants… Yep, he was very happy to be there too.


	17. Chapter 17

Daryl didn't have to be on set that morning, or that day at all. He wasn't part of the scene they were filming and he had the day off to do whatever he wanted. But he was there because it was a very emotional scene for Carol and he wanted to support her.

The last couple weeks had flown by and things had gone… remarkably well. In some ways Merle was the same old asshole, but in other ways he'd changed to this almost unrecognizable person. Sobriety had brought a maturity that Daryl had never seen in his brother before. It was like he'd went from a kid who had no idea what he wanted in life to a man - with clear goals and a vision of his future.

Merle had been bitten by the acting bug and he'd been bitten HARD. Just the night before he'd told Daryl that he'd hired an agent. Merle would only be appearing in one episode of The Walking Dead in season 1 but he was contracted to appear again in the following season - though it was solely dependant on him staying sober. The old Merle would have sat back and enjoyed the significant sum of money he was receiving, just biding his time until he was needed again. But this new guy, whoever he was… had hired an agent to find him work in the off season.

Daryl had to admit that Merle was good. He'd gone to watch his scenes on a rooftop in Atlanta - same rooftop he'd be filming at himself in a couple of weeks. There were only a couple interruptions from the acting coaches on set to guide Merle in the right direction and Daryl had overheard the execs saying how impressed they were. It went a hell of a lot better for Merle than it had for him when he shot his first few scenes. It should have been easy for Daryl to act like a pissed off redneck - it was how he'd lived for most of his adult life. But as soon as the cameras started to roll he couldn't focus. They even had to take a break because he had what Carol had called a "massive hissy fit."

She had been there for his first scene and she'd been the one who calmed him down enough to continue. Daryl had been embarrassed that it seemed to come so natural for everyone else, yet he fumbled, forgot lines and was interrupted by the acting coaches more often than anyone else. "Be yourself," she'd told him. "They wrote this stuff to try to capture your personality. They wanted you. You got this."

The rest of the day went well and Daryl had actually enjoyed the scene where he got to get all up in Rick's face and then scuffle a bit with Shane. The physical stuff he could do. When anyone touched him he reacted naturally - like a wild animal. He knew he wasn't naturally talented like some of the others, but he was starting to feel like he might survive.

Merle was good and he knew it, but Daryl was used to his brother's cockiness and it didn't surprise him in the least that acting was no different. But the way he took it so seriously was shocking. Daryl couldn't help but wonder how long it could possibly last though. Merle had never stuck to anything - this would likely be the same.

"And action," the director yelled, catching Daryl's attention. Daryl was a little too far away to hear the conversation between the ladies gathered down by the water, but he knew the dialogue from the script. He knew the entire scene, very, very well. And he was nervous. There was a knot in the pit of his stomach that was getting tighter every second they drew closer to the fight that was about to happen. What they were filming wasn't a long scene, but there were a lot of aspects involved and a lot of characters involved as well. It would take a while to film and the day was hot already. His eyes were focussed on Carol. She had a short line coming up… "Me too." He could read her lips and he smiled when the other ladies all erupted with laughter. It was a sweet and light scene, but it set the table for the exact moment that had Daryl's entire body tense.

"Cut," yelled the director. "Great job ladies. Take 5, get some water, sunscreen… we'll pick back up soon."

Everyone scattered, searching for shade and a drink. Carol came right over to him and he handed her a bottle of water. She took a long drink before either of them spoke. "You ready for this?" he asked nervously. Maybe she was fine and he was way more stressed about it than he should be.

"Nope," she said honestly. "But I do just want this part over with." His heart ached for her. Daryl wished so much that they would just cut this scene, but Mike was adamant that this was very important for what they had in store for Carol's character.

"You're doing great," Daryl said softly.

Carol chuckled. "I've had one line today." She looked up at him with a smile, "But thank you for saying that." He watched her suck in a breath. "I really hope I don't screw this up," she sighed.

Daryl wasn't sure what to say. He was getting more and more angry by the second that they were putting her through this. "You ain't gonna." It wasn't much. It wasn't enough. So he quickly brushed her hand, letting his fingers linger briefly on her palm. His cheeks burned wondering if anyone saw the tiny intimate moment.

"Okay guys, let's get ready to continue," a voice boomed.

Carol gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you," she whispered. But before she turned he saw the fear in her eyes and he had to restrain himself from chasing after her and taking her away.

Daryl paced as things got rolling. It took quite a while to get through the first part - an altercation between Ed and Andrea. They wanted to push through and film without any lengthy breaks to try to capture the emotion of the scene and it was actually going really well. But then all hell broke loose in the scene and Daryl was pretty sure he was going to vomit.

The actor who was playing the role of Ed didn't actually hit Carol, it was all acting, but from that moment on… Carol wasn't acting anymore. Her emotion, her tears, her fear… it was all real. Daryl started pacing faster, his heart pounding in his chest. What the fuck? Why were they continuing to film? She was crying… yes, she was supposed to cry… but it was real - her tears are fucking real you assholes - he wanted to scream. Everyone else was doing a great job, but they were clearly feeding off Carol's emotion. He eyed the director, Mike the showrunner, the sound team and everyone else involved… they looked fascinated - blown away even. They looked… happy.

There was a brief pause in the action where they swapped out the stunt doubles and brought in a beaten up looking Ed. Daryl hoped the slight pause in the action would give Carol a chance to breathe and calm down, but she looked like she was in another place and time… and still… no one noticed but him. The camera started rolling again and Carol tore away from the others to drop to her knees beside Ed. "I'm sorrry, I'm sorry…" That's all Daryl could hear and then he heard something else and he couldn't hold himself back any longer. "Ned…" She called him Ned. They must have heard that, right?

Daryl ran over to the director and grabbed him roughly. "Stop this… stop it now," he hissed. "You heard that.. I know you did."

"Yeah, it's fine… we can just edit that out… she's amazing though… we can't stop, it's almost over - we're never gonna get her this emotional again if we stop now," he replied quietly.

"You stop it… or I will," Daryl threatened.

"Just… a little longer," he said, glaring at Daryl. "Shhh."

"Fuck you, fuck you all," Daryl snapped, running out into the scene.

"Cut," he heard the director yell.

"What the hell is going on?" Another person said, he was pretty sure it was Mike's voice. But Daryl didn't stop, he headed straight for Carol. The actor playing Ed sat up, looking every bit as confused as the rest of them.

"Get away from her," Daryl snarled, at no one in particular. He was angry with them all. How could every fucking one of them be so damn blind? He dropped to the ground and gathered Carol up in his arms. She was sobbing, still repeating "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again. "Shhh, it's okay, I'm here," Daryl whispered, holding her tightly to his chest. He glared at Lori, Andrea, Amy and Jacqui. They're her friends… they should have known, they should have seen it.

Slowly people started to clue in and their faces changed, but it didn't ease Daryl's anger, not one little bit. He was furious that this sweet, kind woman was sobbing in his arms traumatized, reliving her worst nightmare… for what? A stupid television show?

People started to move towards them, but finally the director made himself fucking useful. "We're done for the day, everyone back to base camp." When no one moved his tone changed. "Now," he snapped. "Give her space." Slowly they started to back away, everyone but Lori. She came over and dropped to the ground.

Daryl was about to say something, but Lori wrapped her arms around Carol from behind, leaving the three of them in a group hug of sorts. "I'm so sorry Sweetie," Lori said, with tears running down her cheeks. She stayed, just for a moment, then kissed the top of Carol's head before standing up. Lori gave him a look before she left and Daryl knew she felt horrible - his anger towards her lightened. Daryl knew the woman cared about Carol, deeply.

Everyone gave them space and eventually the sobs slowed down and Carol looked up at him. "I screwed it up, didn't I?" she whispered.

"No, no… God no," Daryl soothed her. It annoyed him that she was worried about the scene when there was so much more going on. "Don't worry about that."

"But I can't lose this job…" She protested. "I can't. I need to go apologize. Where is everyone? I can do this… I can finish."

Mike had heard her and came over. "We got what we needed," he said gently as Daryl gave him the stare of death. "You were amazing, but I had no idea it would affect you that way. If you want - we can cut this scene - figure out another way to get the same message out there…"

"No," Carol interrupted. "Use it. I want other women out there to know…" her voice cracked. "I survived," she finished moments later, just before breaking down again.

"Will you take her home? Make sure she's okay?" Mike asked Daryl. He knew how close they were and he had to know this would only bring them closer, yet he wasn't objecting to it - he was encouraging it instead. Daryl also know it was because he likely felt guilty about what had happened… maybe the serious business man did have a heart after all… Or maybe he was just protecting his investments.

"Yup," Daryl replied, avoiding eye contact. He gently helped Carol to her feet and they headed for the van waiting to take them to basecamp. When they arrived everyone who was still there gave them space. At least they had the sense to do that. Daryl waited patiently while Carol got changed and washed up.

When she emerged from her trailer she looked a little better. "You want me to drive you home?" he asked.

Carol shook her head. "I want you to take me for a ride," she replied, gesturing to his bike. "I just want to shake it all off and forget for a while. Don't want to think or feel… I just want the wind in my face and that feeling of freedom…" She looked uncertain but he knew the exact feeling she was talking about.

"Let's go," he replied, giving her a smile. Daryl felt her body relax against him by the time they were out of the parking lot. He headed out into the countryside, sticking to the backroads and they flew.

They only stopped twice all day. Once at a roadside food truck for a quick bite to eat and a second time at a gas station to fill up and use the restroom. They didn't talk much at all, but it was okay - they didn't need to. Daryl was giving her what she wanted and he could tell she was thankful.

It wasn't until dark that he took her home. They didn't go back for her car which meant he would just take her to get it the next day - by that point it wasn't something they needed to discuss ahead of time. Daryl walked her to the door and by the time they stepped inside he could see her demeanor had changed again. "You gonna be okay?" he asked, feeling very uncertain. She'd been fine on the bike but now she looked nervous and scared again.

"Will you stay awhile?" she said quickly. Carol chewed her lip. "I hate to ask, but…"

"Stop," he drawled. "You know I'll stay as long as ya need me." They settled in the living room on the couch and Carol turned on the TV. They picked a movie and she leaned against his chest, clearly needing the comfort of being close. They weren't 20 minutes into the movie and Carol was asleep.

Daryl decided to just keep watching the movie a while and see if she woke up, but he knew with the emotional morning and the day on the bike in the fresh air she was clearly exhausted. He stayed put, trying not to move too much so he didn't wake her. It wasn't easy when she would shift from time to time leaving her hand too high on his thigh or tucking her face into his neck so he could feel each breath tickle his skin.

Before he could end up with a massive boner like the last time he was on that very couch Daryl decided it was time to get her to bed. He could have just moved her into a comfy position on the couch and covered her up, but he planned on sleeping on the couch himself. He planned on staying because he couldn't leave her to wake up alone in the house without knowing if she was okay.

It took a lot of careful maneuvering but finally he got out from under her and stood up so he could lift her into his arms. Carol sighed sleepily and stirred when he picked her up, but she didn't fully wake. Poor thing really was exhausted. He easily carried her to the bedroom, trying very hard not to let any inappropriate thoughts creep into mind and failing miserably. How many times had he thought about carrying her to bed before? What came after in his fantasies were a lot different than what was about to happen - he knew that. His dreams resulted in a desperate need to jerk off or take a cold shower.

When Daryl set her on the bed Carol's eyes flew open and she looked scared. "Please don't leave," she said desperately. "Please stay."

"I ain't going anywhere," Daryl assured her. "I'll just sleep on the couch."

"No I mean… will you stay here? In my bed with me? Will you hold me? I… I… just don't want to be alone," she pleaded.

Daryl nodded and she moved over to give him room. Why did she think she needed to beg him? Didn't she know he'd do anything for her? Carol rolled her back to him and he snuggled close, wrapping his arms around her. Once again he felt her body relax right away. If only his would do the same. This was going to be pure torture, but it didn't matter - she was worth it. Daryl closed his eyes and hoped to hell he wasn't going to wake up with an embarrassing hard on, but not feeling very hopeful about that possibility… at all.


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl still wasn't asleep over an hour after he got into bed with Carol because he was too busy trying to think of things other than how good it felt to have her ass pressed up against his dick. Merle… He focused on his brother because nothing could sink a good hard on like Merle's grating voice.

He had already contemplated whether or not Merle would actually follow through with this new passion for acting and as much as he hoped it would stick - he just didn't see it happening. Then Daryl felt like a big asshole for not having more faith in his brother. Maybe rehab had changed him for the better… or maybe his addiction had shifted to something else… At least it was something healthier than drugs and alcohol - sex and acting. Sex… fuck, why did he have to go there? Daryl shifted, feeling his groin tighten slightly.

Quick… think of bad things like Vietnam, 9-11 and spilling your beer. It worked for a moment, but then… Carol rolled over. Daryl froze. One of her legs slipped between his, tangling their limbs and her lips - they were close, really, really close. Daryl knew he should move his face back, put at least a little distance between them but he just couldn't back away. She was so close that if he stuck out his tongue he could lick her lips - Daryl considered it.

Before he could make his decision she let out a little sigh and his entire body started to pulse. Daryl decided not to lick her, instead he closed the tiny gap between them and touch his lips lightly to hers. Daryl closed his eyes and waited for a moment, testing the waters - seeing if she would wake up. When Carol didn't pull away or stir he increased the pressure slightly. To his shock Daryl felt her respond.

Then next thing he knew her lips were parted and his tongue wasn't just licking her lips - it was in her mouth. And her tongue seemed very, very happy to have him there. Daryl instinctively let his hand trail down her back until it rested on her ass and then pulled her closer. His goddam dick was hard as a rock and he resisted the urge to grind against her.

Daryl's mind flashed to what the perfect ass in his hand looked like. God, he wanted to fuck her so badly. He squeezed her rump… just a little too hard… Carol gasped and pulled away. "What? What the? Daryl? What are you doing?" she spat.

"Huh? What? I was sleeping," he lied, untangling their legs quickly, hoping to hell she hadn't felt his rock hard dick before he got away. "What were you doing?" Daryl replied, turning the tables on her. "You kissed me," he accused her, only feeling a little guilty.

"I did not, I was sleeping," Carol replied with a pout. Oh good she bought it, Daryl thought. She narrowed her eyes and gave him a little smile. "If you wanted to kiss me you could have asked," she teased.

Daryl felt his face burn hot. "I… uh…I didn't…" he stammered. "I swear…" he tried to lie again but his voice trailed off.

"Mmm hmm," she replied, still smiling at him. That damn smile… fuck, why is she so beautiful? He was completely mesmerized. Carol bit her lip and her eyes sparkled. "We should sleep," she whispered. "I'll just roll over…" Before he had a chance to make a move her ass was right back where it was, resting against his dick. "Oh," Carol said with a giggle. "Night Daryl."

With his face burning again he reciprocated, "Night."

Somehow through his mortification Daryl fell asleep. When he woke again it was morning and Carol was not in bed with him. His brain instantly went on a road trip to crazytown. _Oh God, she's mad… she hates me. No wait, maybe she had to piss. I have to piss. Okay… it's been long enough for a piss and she's not back. Oh wait, maybe she needed to poop - that takes longer… Wait, how long does it take a woman to poop? The same amount of time it takes a man you idiot. I'd be done by now… Maybe she's reading in there. Wait, is she even in the bathroom? Should I get up and check? But what if she is in there and she freaks out because I see her pooping? You're not gonna just walk in on her you jackass… Okay, hold on… maybe she's hungry - she's probably in the kitchen making breakfast. Mmm, breakfast - I could really go for some bacon and eggs… crispy bacon, eggs over easy and a huge cup of coffee… oh and toast. I hope she's making me breakfast right now. What the fuck is wrong with you? She's not your personal chef. And she's probably mad at you anyway so why would she do anything for you? Oh fuck, my breath… it's probably awful… maybe she smelled my yucky morning breath and ran outside for fresh air. Shit, how am I going to get rid of it? I don't have a toothbrush. I could eat some toothpaste or something… would that work? It can't hurt… but mama always said not to eat toothpaste… What if it gives me the shits or something? That would be a fucking nightmare._

"Daryl?" Her voice startled him. Daryl screamed and ducked his head under the blankets. By the time he peeked back out she was laughing her ass off. "You just screamed like a 3 year old girl," Carol snorted.

"Fuck off, you scared me," he shot back. When she continued to laugh he threw a pillow at her. Carol caught it and threw it back.

"The shower is all yours," she said. She didn't look the least bit mad at him. Daryl started to relax. He climbed out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. "Oh, hey… I found a new toothbrush in the drawer - it's on the counter for you."

Daryl cringed… Fuck, must have been my morning breath after all, he thought. He ducked into the sanctuary of the bathroom and shut the door with a long sigh. That woman… his _friend_ … she was going to be the death of him - for sure.

 _CAROL - CAROL - CAROL - CAROL - CAROL - CAROL_

Why is he still acting so weird? Carol wondered. She still hadn't decided if she believed he was asleep when they kissed or if he'd initiated it like she teased him about. He didn't deny it when she called him on it, but she knew she'd caught him off guard, and it was the middle of the night.

Maybe he's just embarrassed about being aroused, she thought. It may have been the one time women actually had it easier. The whole time she was in the shower that morning all she could think about was the kiss and the feel of his erection touching her ass. Part of her wanted to believe he was turned on because of her - because he was sexually attracted to her, but he was a guy and they had kissed… quite passionately, of course he was going to be aroused. Nah, they were friends - no way he thought of her as any more than that.

Ah well, he was fun to tease and she liked the way he blushed when she flirted a bit. But the important thing was that they were friends, really good friends, and in the short time they'd known each other they had become very supportive of one another. Carol didn't want to mess with that. So I guess it's a good thing he doesn't think of me that way, she concluded.

When Daryl came out, showered and dressed, he couldn't even look at her. And every time he had to speak he stammered and mumbled. Finally she'd had enough of the awkward bullshit. "Daryl, we kissed. Get over it," she snapped. He instantly looked wounded by her tone and she felt bad. "I'm sorry," Carol sighed. "I just don't want things to be weird between us. I liked the way things were. Can't we just pretend it never happened? We weren't even awake - it didn't mean anything… right?"

"Hmm, yeah, right… didn't mean anything…" he mumbled in reply. It was followed by something mostly incoherent, though she was able to make out "just friends" in there.

"So are we good?" Carol asked, wanting to make sure.

Daryl nodded, "Yup."

"Great, so when I tease you about poking me in the bum half the night…" Carol paused and bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"I can leave… and you'll be stuck here with no car," he threatened.

Carol pouted, "You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" She blinked innocently at him, "Besides I know how much you love having me on the back of your bike, all snuggled up against your big, strong back… my arms around you…" She was laying it on thick but Daryl ended it with a snort that made her bust out with laughter. "Yep, I think we're good," she said when she could speak again. Carol felt relieved that they were back to their old selves.

All through breakfast they talked and laughed like they always did. As they finished up Carol looked at the time, "Oh no, do you film today?" It was late morning and she was pretty sure whoever was filming that day had to show up around noon.

"Nope, I'm off until tomorrow," Daryl replied.

"Would you mind taking me to see Mike this morning? I just want to apologize for yesterday," Carol replied. Having Daryl around she had pushed the events of the day before to the back of her mind - he was a great distraction. But talking about work brought it back and she couldn't help but feel guilty and unprofessional.

"Don't you dare fucking apologize," Daryl snapped. "Those assholes put you through that… it wasn't necessary. They oughta be apologizing to you."

Carol was touched that he was so protective of her. "I over reacted…" she started. Daryl gave her a look. "Okay, okay… it was awful." She sighed deeply. "I didn't think he could affect me like that still… It makes me feel… weak."

"You ain't," Daryl said softly. "You ain't," he repeated. "You got away." Carol met his eye and once again she saw deep empathy. She still didn't know what had happened to him, but there it was again - a connection between them that was deep and rooted in an understanding of each other's pain.

"Don't be mad… but I still want to swing by the studio and see if Mike is there," Carol said gently. "But I promise I won't apologize."

"You better not," Daryl grumbled in his usual pissed off at the world tone. It was the tone that made most people run away, but didn't phase her one bit.

"You're so cute when you get into guard dog mode," she teased.

"Fuck off," he replied. "Let's go, ain't got all day."

"Technically we do," Carol said, grabbing her coat and following him with a smile. Daryl ignored her and her smile widened.

The route to the studio took them down a back road that ran alongside the interstate once in awhile and through heavily wooded areas for long stretches. It was a bit of a drive, but it was nice. She really enjoyed being on the bike with him and she knew Daryl didn't mind having her there.

With the quiet time and obvious lack of conversation she let her mind wander to the night before once again. As much as she was determined to put it behind them - she couldn't help but think about it. She wasn't going to let it affect their relationship, but what did it hurt to relive that sexy kiss in her mind every now and again?

She started to get into territory she really shouldn't have allowed herself to go into, but they still had a ways to go - she could reign herself back in when they got closer to stopping. _Did he enjoy it as much as I did? Did he really know he was kissing me? Or was he dreaming about Jennifer Anniston or that chick with the big boobs on Baywatch? Boobs… yeah, if Daryl's a boob man he ain't gonna be getting much in that department with me. Oh God, what would it feel like to have his hands on my breasts? Or… his mouth sucking my nipples? He certainly knew what to do with his tongue when we kissed… I wonder… if he… likes going down there… Oh stop, you're never going to know the answer to that anyway… Jesus, what is wrong with me? I need to get laid. I really, really do. Thank god for my vibrator… Vibrator… this bike kinda vibrates… If I just shift a little more…. Oh, his chest is really hard… just like his dick was last night… I wonder what he looks like naked? You already know what he looks like… No, I mean naked with a big boner. A great big… massive…_

All of a sudden she felt herself slammed into Daryl's back as the bike came to a screeching halt. It was probably for the best that he'd put an abrupt end to her naughty thoughts. "What's wrong?" she said loudly. Daryl pulled the bike over to the side of the road and cut the engine.

He pointed. "The fuck is that?"

Carol looked at the billboard that had caught his attention. "The Walking Dead - new series coming to AMC this fall," she read. Carol smirked at him. "That is one big ass picture of you and Rick… oh and look… there I am, teeny tiny in the background if you squint…"

"Why the hell am I so big?" Daryl looked mortified.

"Aw Sunshine… you're about to be the newest heartthrob on television," she drawled. Carol patted him on the shoulder and uttered a reminder she'd used before and would likely use again, "Just so you know, I liked you first."


	19. Chapter 19

With three full episodes wrapped the cast was getting a little time off - sort of. They had a few days off filming, but the work would continue as they were all headed to San Diego on a private plane for a long 4 day weekend at San Diego Comic Con.

"Why do you look like you're about to barf?" Daryl asked, plopping down beside Carol who was already in her seat with her buckle done up while everyone else chatted and moved around the plane as they waited on the tarmac for clearance.

"I've never flown before," Carol said softly, trying to calm the rising panic inside her.

"Me neither," Daryl shrugged. "But it can't be all that bad - people do it all the time."

Carol glared at him. "You're not helping."

"I still ain't forgave you for the movies the other night," Daryl said, glaring back. "You're lucky I'm still talking to you." Carol couldn't help but smile. She had talked him into going to a movie the day they'd seen the new billboard. They weren't the only ones who had noticed Daryl's beautiful face on that sign - in fact, it seemed everyone had seen it by that night. The more photographs and autographs he was asked for the more Daryl looked like he was going to blow a gasket. Carol had tried to calm him down a few times, but eventually she'd just resorted to teasing him because nothing else was working.

When they eventually had to run away from a mob of teenage girls, jump on his bike and speed off down the street Carol had been laughing, but Daryl was not the least bit amused and he'd given her the silent treatment for almost 3 full hours. When he got a massive pout on he was extremely stubborn.

"You realize that what happened that night… it's only going to get worse, right? Especially after this convention thing we're doing…" Carol asked gently. She thought maybe distracting herself by talking about his problems might get her through take off without a panic attack.

"I don't want to talk about it," Daryl replied with a pout. He wasn't trying to be dramatic, only honest, but it made her smile because he was very cute when he brooded.

"Daryl… like it or not you're about to be a huge star." He sunk lower in his seat and pouted harder. "I've told you so many times… you're just too pretty," Carol added, teasing him. That got her another glare, but she didn't miss the hint of a smile.

"You're pretty too," he mumbled, barely audible. Carol wasn't sure if it was a compliment or if he was arguing with her, but she allowed herself a bashful blush. "I don't even know why I'm here anyway," he continued. "I ain't got nothing to say."

"Did you read over the press package they gave us?" Carol asked. She knew he had. She'd actually been quite impressed with how professional he'd been lately. He'd really focussed on his work and when he filmed his most emotional scene to date she'd been there to watch and he'd absolutely nailed it. There had been a change in him since the night they'd kissed - but Carol had convinced herself it was nothing more than a coincidence. Yet there was this little voice in her mind that was convinced he was using work as a distraction.

"Yeah," Daryl grunted. "Read that, memorized the itinerary too… but all that bullshit we are and aren't allowed to talk about - I'm gonna fuck it up - so I think it's better if I just don't say a damn thing." Carol laughed. "Fuck off," he added.

"What are you gonna do? Just say 'no comment'," she snorted. "We're not on trial - we're here to promote the show. You gotta talk."

"There are enough of y'all to do the talkin'," Daryl replied stubbornly.

"Too bad you're the one they're all gonna want to talk to," Carol said, patting his knee.

Daryl groaned and leaned back in his seat. "This fucking sucks."

Suddenly the plane started to move. "Oh God," she breathed, gripping the armrests. Daryl did up his seatbelt and she saw everyone else find a place to sit. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to breathe and to refrain from crying. The plane started to pick up speed and it got harder to suck in a breath. Carol felt a hand on hers and she opened her eyes. Daryl was trying to hold her hand. She released the armrest and let him. It felt good. "Thank you," she mouthed. He really had become her biggest support system and Carol honestly had no idea what she would do without him.

Once they were in the air and levelled out she was finally able to start breathing normally again. And an hour into the flight she finally allowed herself to get out of her seat - only because she had to pee, but once she was up she ended up joining the others at the back where she stayed until the captain let them know they needed to buckle up for the landing. Daryl was right beside her once again as they landed and he held her hand again. "Well, we're still alive," he said after the plane bumped onto the runway and quickly slowed down.

"Yeah, this time," Carol sighed, already thinking about the flight home.

The next couple of hours flew by. They had left Atlanta late in the afternoon but with the time change it was only a couple hours later even with the long flight. They were picked up at the airport in big SUVs and taken to the hotel they would be staying at. The cast mulled around in the lobby while Mike and his assistant checked them all in.

It seemed to be taking a lot longer than expected and when Mike started in their direction Carol could tell he wasn't happy. "I have some bad news," he sighed, as everyone gathered around. "We had booked most of you single rooms for the weekend, but the hotel overbooked," he looked extremely pissed off. "We had to double most of you up. There will be one King bed and a cot brought in. I'm so sorry guys. I had them check 10 other hotels but everything is sold out for the con."

Mke started handing out room assignments. Amy and Andrea were put together, Shane and Glenn, Daryl and Merle… Rick, Lori and Carl were already sharing a room of course. Carol looked around and realized there were no other women left to pair up with since Jacqui hadn't come on the trip after a bad case of food poisoning. "Looks like you lucked out Peletier," Mike said with a smile. "You're the only one who still gets a room to yourself." Carol smiled, knowing there were many envious eyes boring into her back.

Carol heard a familiar voice behind her. "Hey, whatcha say we give Daryl a room to himself and you and I go see how soft the beds are?" She turned around and rolled her eyes at Merle.

"I'm gonna lock myself in my room, have a long hot shower and find some horrible chick flick on TV, but thanks for the offer," Carol replied, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Despite the fact he was a pervert Merle was really growing on her. She admired how he'd overcome his addiction and really thrown himself into the job. He had a lot of talent for acting - and the ego to go with being a hollywood star if he ended up there someday.

The group all had their keys so they piled onto the elevator and headed to the 7th floor. Once they got off they headed to their own rooms. Carol gave Daryl a little wave as she unlocked her door. He waved back before disappearing into the room next door behind Merle. Well, at least we're neighbors, she thought.

Carol spent the next hour getting organized and exploring a bit. She unpacked her suitcase and took all her toiletries to the bathroom and put some of her clothes in the drawer and hung the rest in the closet. Finally, she was ready for that long, hot shower. Carol went into the bathroom and stripped off her clothes. Just as she was about to turn on the shower there was a loud banging at the door. "Shit," she hissed, looking at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Be right there," she called out. Carol spotted a robe on the back of the bathroom door and grabbed it. She tied the belt as she hurried for the door.

Without checking to see who it was she pulled the door open, chastising herself for being so stupid and then sighing with relief when Daryl stormed into the room. She noticed immediately that he'd brought his luggage. "Stupid fucking asshole," she heard him mutter.

"Uh, Daryl… whatcha doing?" Carol asked, letting the door shut.

"Oh, I'm gonna stay here with you, 'kay?" he said, setting his duffle bag on the floor.

He still hadn't turned around to face her, but Carol could tell he was angry. "Uh… sure… but why?"

"Merle bought me a present," Daryl snapped, finally turning. "Oh…" he added when he saw she was wearing a robe. Carol felt his eyes travelling up and down her body and she felt a warm buzz start inside her.

"A present?" She continued the conversation, trying to distract herself from the sexy feelings stirring inside her. "What kind of present?"

"A hooker," Daryl spat. "He bought me a fucking hooker."

"Oh," Carol bit her lip to keep from laughing. Who the hell does that? Buys their brother a hooker? It was so absurd it was amusing - and so… Merle. "That's uh, quite the gift… and kinda illegal too, isn't it?"

"He called it an escort… or companion… or something stupid - but they were hookers," Daryl said, his face burning red.

"They?" Carol asked.

"Oh yeah… you didn't think he'd get me one and not order himself the deluxe model," Daryl scoffed.

That was it. She couldn't hold back the laughter anymore. Carol snorted and Daryl glared at her for the upteenth time that day. "I'm sorry… what makes a hooker deluxe?" she asked, immediately wishing she hadn't.

"You don't want to know," Daryl replied, sparing her. Carol giggled harder and finally he cracked a smile. "You sure you don't mind me staying here?" he asked, looking around the room. "I'll sleep on the floor."

"Course I don't mind," Carol shrugged. She played it cool, but inside she was freaking out a bit. She had tried her best to pretend the kiss they'd shared wasn't a big deal, but every time she thought about it she wanted it again - and more. "If you promise not to kiss me in your sleep we can share the bed. It's huge anyway."

Daryl narrowed his eyes. He knew she still didn't believe he'd sleep kissed her. "We'll see," he grumbled.

"Whatever," Carol shrugged again. "I was just about to have a shower, but why don't we have a drink first? They left us a bottle of wine over there," she pointed at the table. Carol wasn't sure if alcohol was a good idea or a bad idea but she was gonna drink her some wine anyway.

Daryl smiled and picked up the bottle. "This looks way better than the non alcoholic sparkling cider in Merle's room." Carol hadn't even thought about the fact that they obviously couldn't put wine in Merle's room.

Daryl opened the wine and Carol held the glasses while he poured. "To an amazing weekend in San Diego," she toasted, handing him a glass. Their eyes met and Carol felt her heart react with a thud. The way he looked at her was so erotic sometimes, but she always felt stupid later on thinking she'd made it all up in her mind. In the moment though… the intensity in his eyes made her want to jump him. Carol looked away quickly and took a long drink of the wine. It was amazing - probably the most expensive wine she'd ever tasted. It wasn't long before she'd finished the entire glass. She poured herself more and added more to Daryl's almost empty glass.

Carol sighed and looked over at him. He'd taken a seat in the stuffed chair by the window. She'd had enough booze to give her a buzz, but nothing that would garner her a hangover the next morning. But the wine was already making her feel brave… and horny. She felt the familiar stirring in her belly and thought about how good it felt to kiss him that night. She bit her lip and let her mind wander to the memory of his naked body. A ripple of pleasure coursed through her. How long had it been since she'd had sex? Months. And if you eliminated the unsatisfying encounters with Ned… God, it had been years and years.

Everyone who was single was hooking up that night it seemed but the two of them. Merle was next door banging hookers. She'd seen Amy and Andrea chatting with a couple of handsome young actors from another show in the lobby when they first arrived, making plans to meet later. She'd noticed Shane sitting by the pool with some blonde girl when she'd checked out the balcony earlier and she'd even seen awkward little Glenn talking with a group of girls in the hallway.

She had spent so much of her life not being able to do what she wanted to do when she wanted to do it. But Ned was no longer a part of her life - there was no one to hold her back from doing whatever she wanted. What Carol wanted - right then… so badly… was Daryl Dixon. And sex. Sex with Daryl, specifically.

With every fibre of her being aching for him and every bit of grey matter in her head screaming it's a bad idea Carol stood up and walked over to him. She took the remote from his hand and shut off the television he'd just turned on. "We need to talk," she said. Daryl nodded, but before she could speak again he pulled her down and kissed her full on the mouth. Carol felt the robe loosen, but didn't make a move to tighten it as she sunk into his lap and kissed him right back.


	20. Chapter 20

Daryl's hands were inside the robe, his warm touch moving over her bare skin. Carol shivered with pleasure as he found her breasts and fondled them gently, almost tentatively, which was in stark contrast to the way he was kissing her so eagerly. He was so damn confusing sometimes and a completely open book others.

Carol shifted, allowing the robe to open completely. She pushed away all thoughts of the flaws she could pick out in the mirror and just enjoyed every little part of the encounter. The longer they kissed the more passionate it was becoming. Carol moaned into his mouth and she felt his body stiffen underneath her as Daryl tried to keep himself in control. One of his hands was slowly making it's way from her breast down the middle of her tummy.

If she wasn't enjoying the kiss and the feel of his tongue exploring her mouth the way his hand was inching so slowly would have drove her absolutely insane. How long had it been since a man had touched her there? Too long. Way too long. Her sex drive was quite possibly higher in that moment than it had ever been in her entire life.

Finally, mercifully, Daryl's hand reached her pelvic area… just a little further. Carol had to restrain herself from lifting her body to meet his hand. His fingertips trailed through her curls, lower… lower… and finally she felt him touch her, slipping a single finger up inside… But it lasted no more than a split second before he pulled his hand away, broke the kiss and held both hands up like he was under arrest. "I… I'm… sorry… what the fuck are we doing?" He stammered, looking at her with the strangest expression of innocence after a far from innocent experience.

Carol blinked at him. "Well I'm pretty sure I said something about talking…" she teased.

"Right… talking…" Daryl mumbled. "You're gonna need to…" he gestured at the robe and Carol reached down to close it before slipping off him. "Okay, uh yeah… so what're we talking about?"

"Sex," Carol replied quickly. She laughed when Daryl gaped at her. "Come on, don't pretend you didn't want that to go further," she challenged him. "You wanted it… just as much as I did." His face was a shade of red she'd never seen before. "But we need to talk first…"

"Okay," he squeaked, unable to meet her eyes.

"Look at me," Carol demanded. Slowly he lifted his gaze. "If we do this I can't have you getting all weird on me." Daryl licked his lips but didn't speak. She sighed. "We're adults," she started. "But we're friends and the last thing I want to do is ruin that." It was truly her biggest fear. Daryl was quite possibly the best friend she'd ever had and there was no way she wanted to jeopardize that. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat and got to it, "You've uh, heard of friends with benefits right?" He nodded slowly. "You interested?" she threw the proposition out on the table. It was almost amusing thinking about the woman she was barely 6 months ago to this brave, sexually charged person who was asking her closest friend if he wanted to be her fuck buddy.

The truth of the matter was simple - she was terrified of anything beyond what she was offering him - but she wanted him so badly she couldn't imagine it not happening sometime soon. Carol watched him nod slowly. "Hell yeah," he said finally, smiling though his bashful blush. "You, uh, you sure you ain't gonna get weird? You know how chicks get…" Carol raised her eyebrows. "Uh, I mean… some chicks… you know they get all jealous and crazy… But not you… I mean, you wouldn't… I don't think… you're not… uh… fuck…I mean if you do it's okay… Christ… nevermind, I'm just gonna shut up now."

"Probably best if you do," Carol replied with a little giggle, enjoying his nervous fumbling because it eased her own nerves a bit. They stared at each other in awkward silence. The butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach and were going wild.

"You're nervous," Daryl blurted, suddenly looking amused. "You got this far and you ain't got a clue what to do now."

"Busted," Carol sighed "It's not like I've done anything like this before…" She eyed him, wondering if perhaps he had.

"Don't look at me," Daryl held up his hands. "More than a few one night stands, but this benefits thing's new to me." Carol swallowed and realized her mouth was completely dry. She reached for her wine and took another drink. One night stands sounded easy compared to this. What if the sex was awful? What if they just weren't compatible that way? What if he didn't find her attractive? Then they still had to face each other and work together… Dammit, was this a horrible idea?

Daryl surprised her by standing up and moving closer to her until he was just inches away, completely invading her personal space. The sexual tension returned with a vengeance. He lightly touched her arm and spoke softly, "Close your eyes." His voice was low and husky, almost a rumble and it made her shiver with desire. "Relax," he added. Carol obliged and waited blindly with anticipation. She felt his cheek touch hers, the rough stubble brushing gently against her soft skin. "Don't think," he whispered in her ear.

Carol felt her heart hammering in her chest as the lack of vision heightened all her other senses. She could feel his presence, even though he wasn't touching her yet. There was an electric charge vibrating between them that had her tingling all over. She could smell him, his own unique scent, and she inhaled deeply to take it in.

The way Daryl had suddenly taken the lead was unexpected. Carol had figured it would be mostly up to her but it made the encounter even sexier, especially when he reached for the tie on the robe and left her completely naked in a matter of seconds. When his hand made contact with her skin Carol's eyes flew open. "Keep them closed," he said, looking at her. "It doesn't have to be me."

Carol shook her head, "I want it to be you." Maybe she shouldn't have admitted that so easily. It was supposed to be just sex, right? But she couldn't help it. She couldn't allow him to think that she was making love to him thinking of someone else even if that's what he would probably be doing with her.

Daryl smiled, that little sexy half smile. "Me too," he said, surprising her yet again as he brushed her cheek. What the hell is going on she wondered? It must have showed in her face. "Stop overthinking," he breathed before cover her mouth with his and kissing her slow and easy. There was a gentleness about Daryl that was very unexpected. His kiss, the way he touched her body, even the way he pulled her against him - it was all very tender.

But it certainly didn't stay that way, especially after his clothes were off too. His body was every bit as beautiful as she remembered, even more so since he was fully aroused this time. Just seeing his erection, knowing what it meant and what was coming made her so ridiculously wet. Her pussy was aching for something… anything… she just needed to be touched in some way, so desperately she couldn't keep her own hand away. It was just a quick touch but Daryl didn't miss it, he groaned and the sound was so erotic she felt a throb inside her.

He might have started things, but Carol couldn't wait any longer to get what she needed - what she wanted. "Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him to bed. She went over her options on the way and decided missionary was the best choice for their first time. Carol lay in bed and looked up at him. "Please…" she said, pleading with her tone of voice and her eyes.

Daryl didn't hesitate and she was thankful for that. In a matter of seconds he was positioned between her legs and seconds after that she felt exactly what she'd been waiting for - his dick easing slowly inside her, inch by inch until he was completely buried in her pussy. His face… it was so blissful and beautiful she committed the look to memory. He stayed inside her, frozen in place until she begged again. "Fuck me, please?"

After the first slow stroke he whimpered and Carol sighed with pleasure. It felt so damn good, even better than she remembered...it really had been such a long, long time. He moved in her again and pushed so deep it was her turn to whimper this time. She lifted her hips off the bed and Daryl grabbed her ass. Any restraint he had was gone as he started to pound her - hard and fast. Carol could feel her breasts jiggling with every thrust. It was magical, intense… perfect. How silly had she been to worry the sex wouldn't be good? The look still etched on his face told her that Daryl was enjoying every second too.

Carol let go of all control of her body, relinquishing it completely to him. She was at his mercy and it was exactly where she wanted to be. He continued to drive into her and Carol knew she was almost done - but she'd lost all track of how long they'd been fucking. It could have been barely a couple of minutes, it could have been more than 1 - she had no idea and she didn't care. All that mattered was how good it felt and how Daryl was giving her everything she wanted - pleasure, an orgasm - any second, and him - all of him.

"Oh… oh…" she gasped at the blackness of complete bliss overtook her body. Whether her eyes were open or closed she couldn't see anything but dizzying flashes of light in the darkness as her body rippled with pleasure from head to toe. As her vision started to return she felt her pussy start to throb and she shivered, clinging to Daryl, who had slowed - likely almost done himself. His body jerked and shuddered and he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut with his cock pushed way up inside her.

"Wow," she sighed as Daryl flopped beside her. "Whoever's idea that was is a genius," she joked.

"Mmm," he agreed with a moan. They laid there quietly for a moment, all she could heard was the thudding of her heart as it tried to return to normal. "Now what?" Daryl finally asked.

Carol laughed. "Well, I'm not opposed to doing that again later…"

"Oh thank God," he sighed, making her laugh again. So far… it wasn't weird and Carol was so thankful. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. "Fuck," Daryl grumbled and they both scrambled for their clothes.

Carol put the robe on, waited for Daryl to get covered up and then headed for the door. She did it again - pulled the door open without looking to see who it was. "Well, well, well… I knew I'd find you here," Merle said, strolling into the room and addressing Daryl. "Oh my, my… what have we here," he added, smirking as he looked back and forth between the two of them. "You two had sex."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Daryl scoffed. "We did not. I'm just staying here while you and your playthings get busy."

"Uh uh… I know," Merle said, still smirking. "You two have been bumping uglies… it smells like sex in here."

Carol was too dumbfounded to reply so she let Daryl handle it. "You're a disgusting motherfucker," Daryl hissed at his brother. "We weren't...we didn't…" he tried again.

"You're a terrible liar baby brother," Merle chuckled. "I bet this ain't the first time you two have done the nasty…"

"It is too," Daryl snapped. "Oh… fuck…" he said, realizing what he'd just done.

Carol shook her head and sighed. "Remind me to never trust you with a secret." She couldn't help but laugh at the pout on Daryl's face.

"Don't worry, this Dixon can keep a secret if that's what you want lovely lady," Merle flirted with her. "And the offer still stands if you wanna fuck a man with real skills…"

Daryl looked angry. "Nope, I'm quite satisfied thanks," she said, smiling at Daryl.

Merle grinned, walked over to Daryl and hugged him. "Proud of you man, she's a fox." Carol blushed and looked away.

"You better keep your big fucking mouth shut," Daryl warned.

"Promised I would, didn't I?" Merle replied. "You two kiddos have a great night," he said, heading for the door. "Hey, remember what I told you," he added. "Get the fingers right up in there… and your tongue…"

"Get out," Daryl snapped, shoving Merle out the door and pushing it shut. "Fuck, I am so sorry," he said, looking absolutely mortified.

"Relax," Carol said with a smile. "I like your brother, he's funny."

"He's also an asshole," Daryl sighed.

"Forget about him," she said sweetly, walking over and putting her arms around his neck. "I never did get that shower… you wanna join me?"

"Uh huh," he replied, swooping her easily into his arms and carrying her straight to the bathroom.


	21. Chapter 21

When Carol woke up the next morning she reached for Daryl and found nothing but empty space. She sat up quickly, panic rising. Did he freak out and run already?

"Relax," she heard. "I'm here." She looked towards the window and saw him stand up and walk over to her. "I got breakfast so you could sleep a bit longer 'fore the insanity begins." Daryl came over to the bed and kissed her sending instant tingles to all those areas that had been thoroughly satisfied the night before - not just once but three times. Carol smiled as they parted. She knew if he lingered much longer they'd be fucking again - and wind up late for their first scheduled interview of the day.

"We ain't got a lot of time," Daryl said apologetically. "You eat and I'm gonna shower… alone," he added with a half grin. Again, they both knew exactly what would happen if they got back in that shower together. Carol flashed back to the soap and hot water… and to the feel of him fucking her under the shower spray as he rubbed the soap all over her body. It was really hard not to follow him into the bathroom but she sighed and waited until he shut the door before she slipped her naked body out of bed and put on the robe.

Carol heard the shower start as she checked out the food he'd brought back. Before she had a chance to take a bite there was a knock on the door. She quickly walked over and pulled it open, expecting to see Merle standing there. But instead there was a group of 5 young women, all likely in their early 20s, gorgeous and very well dressed. "See, I told you this was a bad idea," one of them hissed.

"No, this is the room… I know it. I saw him go in here," another hissed back.

"Um, can I help you?" Carol asked, trying to be polite.

"Is, uh, is Daryl here?" a little blonde pixie looking girl asked.

"No, he's n…" Carol started to speak as she went to close the door.

But from behind her she heard his voice. "Hey, changed my mind… you wanna… holy fuck…" She turned and saw his bare ass running back into the bathroom.

All the girls started chatting and giggling at the same time. Carol heard random statements in the swirl of voices.

"See, I told you."

"No way… he's not with her…"

"She's… old…"

"Come on, let's get out of here."

"Did you see his ass? Oh my god…"

"He's so fucking gorgeous."

"Let's goooooooo."

"I can't believe it though... " A brunette looked back at Carol as the group started to walk away. "Why is he with her? Gross."

Tears stung her eyes instantly and Carol quickly shut the door. Their words were bouncing around in her mind. "Old. Why? Gross. Why? No way…" They're just jealous, Carol tried to tell herself. Let it go. But how do you forget something like that? And what if they're right? It was only a matter of time before a man as sexy as Daryl ended up with a young, beautiful girl. In a matter of months he was going to be an international star. He would be known all over the world. Carol had no doubt that people would fall in love with his character and fall even more in love with him.

It didn't matter anyway, Carol tried to rationalize. No matter who Daryl ended up with they would always remain friends - that's what was important. But it didn't do a thing to ease the stinging pain in her heart.

"Who the fuck was that?" Daryl asked, peeking out of the bathroom.

"Oh just some girls who had the wrong room," Carol lied over her shoulder, not wanting to let him see her face until she got things under control again. "Go ahead and shower, we're gonna be late." She knew she should have told him the truth, but they had an interview in less than an hour and she had to get her shit together.

Carol mindlessly gathered her clothes while she waited for Daryl to finish in the shower. She looked over at the food but she felt too sick to eat.

He emerged a few minutes later in a towel. "It's all yours, left it running," he said. Carol started towards the bathroom. "Hey, you didn't eat…"

"Oh, uh…" she turned and saw how disappointed he looked. "I tried, but I'm just really nervous about the interviews and stuff." Carol wasn't completely lying - she was nervous, but it wasn't the reason she could bear to put a bite of food in her mouth right then. He still looked wounded so she went back and hugged him. "Please don't be upset. It was so sweet of you to go get us breakfast and I appreciate it so much, but I just… I just can't eat right now."

Daryl nodded. "'Kay." He looked at her strangely. "You sure you're okay? Like about last night…"

Carol smiled brightly, "Oh don't worry. I'm more than okay about last night. It was amazing." She saw a smile spread across his face and it made her body tingle again. "I gotta…" Carol stepped backwards, still smiling at him. "Gotta get in there…" she motioned towards the bathroom. "I really… gotta…" Before she could take another step Daryl grabbed her and yanked off the robe. The quick movement loosened his towel and it dropped to the floor. Carol looked down as saw he was half hard already. "Daryl," she whispered. "We're gonna be late…"

"It'll be quick," he growled, scooping her up and taking her to the bed. Carol didn't bother protesting any longer once her nipple was in his mouth. She was too far gone herself. They might as well of just gave in earlier and she could have avoided the situation at the door.

She was squirming and writhing under him as Daryl explored her body with his hands and mouth, nipping and sucking her delicate skin. "Fuck me," she gasped as he licked the inside of her thigh. "Please, just… fuck me…" How did he get her so turned on so quickly? All she wanted was his dick in her and there was nothing that would stop her from getting it.

As soon as he penetrated her Carol forgot about the girls at the door and the fact they were going to be late and every other thought in her head. She gave in to the pleasure and focused on nothing but that. She worked her body in rhythm with his and lifted her hips until she found the angle that had him hitting her sweet spot… over and over. "Oh," she cried, unable to control the volume of her voice at first. "Don't stop," she hissed, feeling herself getting closer with each stroke.

Daryl was clinging to her hips and she felt his body jolt but he continued to fuck her, giving her everything he could until he finally pushed her over the edge. Carol whimpered as the orgasm moved through her body. Before she even had her eyes open again Daryl was pulling out and moving off her. "15 minutes… you think you can be ready in time?"

Carol sighed and looked up at him with a smile. "Think they would come looking for us if we just hid in here and stayed in this bed all day?"

"Get your ass in the shower," Daryl chuckled. He was already getting dressed.

"Oh fine," she replied with a pout, hopping out of bed and rushing to the shower that was still running, waiting for her. She had the quickest shower of her life, got dressed, brushed her teeth and threw on some makeup. "Ha, 3 minutes to spare," she announced when she was ready to go.

"I have to brush my teeth," Daryl said, running past her into the bathroom.

"Hmm, well, it won't be my fault if we're late Princess," Carol called out. She gathered her purse and sat on the edge of the bed to wait for him. She had to admit that she was impressed by how easy things were between them. They were still teasing each other, still talking, still, well… friends.

There was a loud bang on the door and Carol heard a voice, "Open up." She didn't have to look even if she'd actually remembered for once - it was Merle. Carol yanked open the door. "Holy fuck, let's go love birds. I covered for you, said Daryl was in the shower as if he was still staying in my room. Said I'd check on you too, but fuck, we gotta go."

"I'm ready," Carol announced with a grin.

"Me too," she heard behind her as Daryl appeared.

He walked up to them and Carol noticed some toothpaste on his face. "Oh, you got a little toothpaste, right… there…" she reached out to show him as he licked and his tongue touched her finger.

They stared at one another for a little too long. "Oh my fucking fuck," Merle grumbled. "I ain't gonna have to keep this a secret if you dumbasses are gonna look at each other like that all day."

Carol watched Daryl's face go red and she smiled. "Let's go," she said, slipping her arm through Merle's. As they stepped out into the hall she had a quick flashback to the group of women that had stood right there a little while earlier. Her stomach flipped but she pushed it away - she had bigger things to worry about - like all the damn interviews and something they called a panel the next day. But the whole way to the elevator she kept hearing their cruel words in her mind. Chances are you'll never see them again, Carol told herself. But what she didn't realize was how many others were out there just like them. Carol couldn't have possibly prepared herself for those she would come to know as… 'fangirls.'


	22. Chapter 22

"So, uh, was it, good? He treat you right? You… know, were ya satisfied?" Carol would have been completely taken back if it hadn't been for the sound of Merle's voice. It wasn't his usual cocky, slightly perverted tone - it was hesitant and he sounded… concerned.

"Do we really need to talk about this right now?" Carol hissed, looking around to see if anyone was listening.

"I just gotta know," Merle replied quietly. "It's important. He's my kid brother… I practically raised him. If he ain't good… ain't doing things right - I gotta fix it."

Carol looked at him and she couldn't help but smile. This was truly a different side of Merle. As strange at the conversation itself was… his intentions came from a place of love - he truly loved Daryl and it was more obvious than Carol had ever seen before. She bit her lip and looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "You have nothing to worry about," she whispered, leaning close to his ear. She decided to have a little fun. "Your little brother…mmm," she groaned softly. "He did good… oh God, so good…" Carol licked her lips. "I promise you… I was satisfied, soooooo satisfied."

Merle was grinning like an idiot and looked so incredibly proud. He leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Fuck yeah," he cheered as he danced away happily.

Daryl gave her a look from across the lobby. Carol shrugged and gave him an innocent smile. He scowled and turned his attention back to Merle who was off chatting it up with a group of fans. Daryl looked back at her again, narrowed his eyes and then finally gave up. They decided to keep their distance for the first little while after Merle's warning about how they were looking at each other.

They had a couple of press things to do before the panel later that day. Carol wasn't as nervous about those because they weren't seated in front of hundreds of fans. And she could ignore the number of people who would see the video online or listen to the radio broadcast because at least she couldn't see them while she was talking. Carol looked around at the rest of the cast and easily saw she wasn't the only one who was nervous. Amy looked like she was going to throw up and Andrea didn't appear to be much better. At first she wondered if they were hung over, but it really did seem like anxiety.

The only one who didn't seem the least bit nervous was Merle. He was working the crowd that had gathered around them like a pro and had the ladies enamoured. Well, if he's looking to get laid I doubt he's gonna have to pay for it anymore, Carol thought as she watched him pose for a photo with two women kissing his cheeks.

She scanned the crowd for Daryl and saw him headed outside to the cars that were waiting to take them to their first interview. There were people calling out to him but he ignored everyone, shook off a couple of hands that tried to stop him and ducked into the closest vehicle. No one really recognized her yet so Carol was able to easily pass through the crowd and climb in after him, while Rick, Glenn, Lori and even Dale were busy posing for photos and signing autographs.

"Hey," she said, plopping down beside him.

"Hey," he grumbled back. "I want to go home," he added with a sigh.

"I know this isn't your thing, but Daryl… you gotta try," Carol said gently. He looked at her like he knew she was right, but wasn't happy about it. "You're gonna have to learn to live with the love," she said with a smile. "Those people are who will make or break our show… If they don't watch we don't work." Daryl huffed in resignation. "Just sign your name, take a few pics… and smile once in awhile, okay?"

"I ain't smiling," Daryl replied, his usual resting bitch face firmly in place.

Carol took a quick look around… tinted windows, just the two of them… Then she scooted closer. "Come on," she cooed. "For me?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Just a little one?" She touched his cheek and gave him her best puppy dog eyes. She could see him starting to crack so she continued to tease him. "Oh, oh… so close… almost there… ahhhh, there it is," she laughed as a tiny smile finally appeared. "Huh… maybe the scowl is better… you are wayyyyyy to handsome when you smile," she added, leaning in to kiss him.

Daryl slipped an arm around her and his tongue into her mouth. Carol knew they shouldn't be doing what they were doing. She knew she should have kept her distance but it was too late now. She wanted him - so badly. Flashes of the night before and how good it felt consumed her. Someone could open the door any second…

All of a sudden the car lurched and Carol pulled away in shock. "We're moving?" she gasped. Apparently the others had all got into other cars, leaving just the two of them in the first car. Daryl pulled her into his lap, making it very clear he wanted to continue down the path they had started on. "We can't… can we?" she asked, shifting to straddle him.

"How far is the drive?" Daryl asked, pulling her hips down so she was tight against his groin.

"I think I heard 20 minutes… in good traffic," Carol replied, moaning because she could feel his erection and she wanted to fuck him so badly.

"Plenty of time," Daryl growled, reaching for her skirt or his belt or something… she couldn't really see what he was doing as he fumbled around. "Get them off," he mumbled, as Carol felt his hands up under her skirt, pawing at her panties. There was a lot of room in the back of the limo and she was able to easily remove them. She quickly tucked them into her purse for safe keeping. When she looked back at Daryl she saw he had pulled down his jeans and boxers and was lightly stroking his fully aroused cock. Her body felt instantly hot. She didn't even care where they were and gave no thought to getting caught. She was too turned on.

Carol quickly straddled him, already feeling her heart rate and breathing quicken with her intense desire. Daryl kept hold of his cock as she eased down on him, releasing his grip once the tip had penetrated her. "Oh God," he moaned with a shiver as she sunk fully down into his lap, taking his stiff dick deep into her pussy. Carol whimpered in response, enjoying the feeling of being full of him. As turned on as she was it took a moment before she started to move. In fact, it was too long of a pause for Daryl who tried to begin the fucking from below.

Carol pressed down to stop him and shook her head. "Easy," she said calmly. "Nice… and… slow…" Daryl looked extremely impatient at first as she began to ride him, so very slowly. But the look on his face quickly changed to one of pure bliss. Carol leaned back a bit, changing the angle, and she closed her eyes. Even though she was extremely horny there was a good chance she wouldn't orgasm with a quick fuck, but this way… so deep and slow… as long as Daryl could hold on she knew she could push herself close enough to let him finish her off.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him. "You good?" she asked.

"Oh fuck yeah," he moaned.

"Just a little longer," Carol whispered, leaning in to kiss him again, just briefly though as it interrupted her rhythm. She found the exact angle she wanted and hit that spot over and over, feeling things start to build inside her, the pleasure intensifying and the fires burning higher and higher. She knew it was time. "Okay," she said. "Fuck me."

Carol released control as Daryl grabbed her hips and took over. His strokes were short and quick in complete contrast to what she'd been doing to him. But it was perfect - everything she needed and he shoved her over the edge in a matter of seconds.

She only got to enjoy it for a moment though because the limo braked hard, lurched forward, swerved and blasted the horn, sending them both reeling in several directions. Daryl was grabbing for her desperately and she realized with a smile that he hadn't quite finished and was extremely concerned he wasn't going to get to.

Carol bit her lip and braced herself with her hands on his shoulders. She watched his face relax and then change back to a look of pleasure as he finished. It was quite fascinating to watch the progression and emotion as he came. She'd never done that with anyone before - so intimately like that. He didn't meet her eyes, but Carol didn't mind - that might have been a bit too much for both of them. This thing… this friends with benefits thing… it wasn't about an emotional connection - it was about sex. Remember that, she told herself.

"Uhhh… we probably shouldn't have done that," Carol sighed, climbing off him and quickly getting her panties back on.

"Probably not," Daryl agreed. "But it's all I can think about," he admitted.

Carol sighed again and allowed a smile to play on her lips, "Me too." She grabbed a mirror out of her purse and made sure she didn't look like she'd just fucked someone in the back of a limo. "We really need to focus on these interviews… and that stupid panel."

"You're really nervous 'bout that huh?" Daryl asked.

Carol narrowed her eyes, "Aren't you?"

"Nah, they ain't gonna want to talk to me anyway. I ain't got nothing to say," Daryl shrugged.

Carol gaped at him. "You… You really have no clue Dixon," she shook her head. She wasn't sure whether she was going to scare him but she really felt he needed to be prepared. "You are the star of the show Daryl," she said softly. "I know I tease you… but this is serious…" She studied him for a moment. "You need to be prepared for a lot of questions and a lot of attention." He was starting to look a little nervous. "Remember the billboard? Remember all those people outside the hotel?" He nodded slowly. "That's your life now. People will love you - so many people…They love you already and the show hasn't even aired." Carol knew by the end of the first season the world would fall in love with Daryl Dixon.

"Well fuck," he muttered. "What if I don't want to answer? What if I ain't got nothin to say?" He was now looking just about as nervous as she felt.

Carol shrugged. "I think you gotta try to answer. Just be honest and speak from the heart." She smiled at him. "You're a good guy on the inside - they'll see that." It really didn't take long to see that Daryl had a heart of gold, even if he did try pretty damn hard to hide it.

"We should just jump out of this car at the next lights and run… far, far away," he grumbled.

Carol laughed. "It's gonna be fine. Just pretend you're acting if you have to." As good of a job as she was doing at calming him she just couldn't take her own advice. The knot in her stomach she'd been able to completely ignore while they fucked was back and tighter than ever. We need to fuck again, Carol thought. She quickly pushed that idea away. No, you need to avoid him for the rest of the day, Carol told herself. As much as possible anyway.

"I think we're here," Daryl announced, looking out the tinted window at the waiting crowd.

Carol nodded. "Remember what I told you about the fans," she warned. "Take some pictures with them and sign your name a few times. And - BE NICE."

10 minutes later the entire cast was engulfed in a group of eager fans. Carol found it all so bizarre that this many people knew who they were when the show wasn't even on the air yet. But it was such a unique concept and the promotional team had been working their asses off - kudos to them. She signed a few autographs and took a few pictures with fans, but the majority of the mob had settled around Rick and Daryl.

Carol was proud of him for taking her advice. He posed for pictures and signed everything shoved his way. She smiled watching him, but slowly… things started to change. Women were kissing his cheek in their pictures for starters. Carol gasped when she saw him pose kissing a young brunette's cheek. She was likely young enough to be his daughter. What the fuck? Carol wondered. He's just being nice, she told herself - like you told him.

She tried to calm down but the last straw was when she saw him sign something else put in front of him - some blonde chick's tits. Carol knew her jaw was hanging open so she forced her mouth closed and then tried to control the rage bubbling inside her. She made a beeline for Daryl pushing her way through the crowd, ignoring the people shoving her and swearing at her. Fuck you bitch, back off, hey… wait your turn… It was all swirling around in her head. Finally she reached Daryl. "Hey, let's go," she hissed, grabbing his arm and tugging.

"Leave him alone slut," some woman yelled.

Carol felt him stiffen. "No," she said, tugging harder. "It's fine." She knew he wanted to defend her but she didn't want a scene.

"It's not fine," he growled. "No one talks to you that way."

"Daryl, let's just get inside," she begged, pulling him harder. Thankfully he gave in and followed her. By the time they were safely inside the building her heart was pounding and Carol was completely out of breath. But worst of all… she couldn't decide if she was mad at Daryl or if she loved her friend even more than she had before. The image of him signing the woman's boobs kept alternating with the rage on his face when someone else called her a slut. Carol took a deep breath and realized the knot in her stomach had just doubled in size and it had nothing to do with the panel anymore.


End file.
